Whirlwind
by LoveShinobi-Angelv
Summary: When Sakura is forced to choose who to save, she is swept into a whirlwind of events that will change her life forever. Who will she choose? Gaara or Sasuke?
1. Suna

**Angelv A/N: Okay guys, for those of you who already read the Whirlwind Saga on mine and LoveShinobi's separate accounts, yes, we are reloading it. Her copy of Quake was taken down, since you aren't supposed to have multiple copies up on the site. So we just edited the whole series and are going to start reloading them. So if you have read it already, you can now enjoy it again, and if you haven't, I hope you like it. And please leave us a review! We like getting feedback on our work. =)**

**LoveShinobi A/N: Yup. Enjoy. **

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter One_

-Suna-

There was a harsh wind blowing, beating the sand against the windows of the Kazekage's office. Shadowed eyes glanced through the glass at the village he was sworn to protect. The winds soon died, as they usually did after a long sandstorm, the only noise in the room now was the contact the pen was making with the paper as Gaara wrote. He let out a small sigh and closed his tired eyes, then lifted his hand to his forehead and touched the scar from his past. It was the only tangible evidence of what he had once been long ago.

He heard the footsteps before the messengers even touched the door. On queue the door was thrown open, and a worried looking shinobi stood there, panting and trying to regain his breathing to inform his Kazekage of his news. He straightened and saluted Gaara with respect, and the redhead leaned back, tapping his writing utensil on his desk, gesturing with his free hand for the watchman to report.

"Kazekage-sama!" he said, still trying to regulate his breathing from the long run. "One of our scouts reported back, and we have four renegade shinobi headed straight for Suna!" he finally managed out in a trained voice.

Gaara simply stared at the ninja for a while, the relevance of him knowing this information escaping him. "So?" he replied, his eyes locked on the now wide eyed man.

The answer seemed to have shocked him and then his expression changed into one of realization. "Oh, forgive me Kazekage-sama. The rouge leading the group…is Uchiha Sasuke." He concluded, his nervousness apparent now. He probably felt foolish for leaving such an important piece out of his report.

The name set Gaara on edge nonetheless. _My long time enemy,_ Gaara thought to himself. He tried to picture the Uchiha now, but all that came to mind was the boy in black with overgrown hair. He really needed to cut his hair before he came to those exams, Gaara sighed aloud. What a trivial and meaningless thought. Gaara's gaze hardened as he set his pen down, "He's with three other's you say?" he asked, now looking up to his guard.

The man nodded and stood tall, "Yes, a woman and two men. One of the men looks more like a brute than a shinobi though," he nodded and saw Gaara's dismissive hand.

"Leave." The Kazekage ordered. "I will ready myself and handle the Uchiha. Inform my brother and sister to get ready as well. Don't cause a panic though, the last thing we need is the villagers to be scared. They have nothing to fear, I will kill the Uchiha." Gaara said, his face remaining stoic. His blonde friend flashed across his mind, _Naruto_, he thought with an annoyed sigh.

"Hold on." Gaara ordered, raising his hand in a halting motion. The guard stopped before his hand was around the doorknob.

"Yes Kazekage-sama?" he replied, ready to do anything his leader ordered.

"On second thought, I will capture the Uchiha. Send notice immediately to Konoha that Uchiha Sasuke is in our custody and if they wish to take him then they are more than welcome." Gaara stood with his last word. The guard bowed and nodded, already leaving to go inform the shinobi who would write up the message.

The sand hovering in the air and along the ground began to swirl and crawl back to its master, surrounding him in a whirlwind until he was gone along with the tainted grains.

* * *

Gaara stood at the top of the walls to Suna, changed from his white Kage robes. His red battle outfit blew in the rough breeze that batted against his skin. Temari and Kankuro stood on either side of him, dressed in their own battle attire. Temari in her black kimono and red sash, and Kankuro in his black getup. Gaara's gourd was fastened on his back now and he looked at two of his most trusted friends, his family. "Try not to kill the Uchiha, I am sure that Naruto will want him back." Gaara informed his elder siblings. Kankuro nodded, his purple facial mask painted into place.

Temari laughed and leaned on her oversized weapon. "Don't worry about us Gaara. It's you who needs to make sure you don't kill him." She snickered and nudged his arm in a joking manner. Gaara glanced at her, clearly not understanding the joke, since his sense of humor was microscopic.

"Let's go. I don't want that scum damaging my village at all." Gaara told them, giving them each a look before he jumped down the large wall. Temari sighed and followed her younger brother with Kankuro taking up the rear. The three took off into the desert in the direction that the scouts had said Sasuke was. Gaara wasn't too excited about meeting again with one of the people he hated most. He started to slow his pace when he saw four black figures across the desert. They were headed straight towards them. "We'll stop here, no need to waste any energy running when they are coming right to us." He told his siblings and sat down, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. He needed to meditate before this fight, he knew it would awaken old feelings of hatred and he wanted that part of him to stay dormant. The sand around him moved and became denser, forming shade for himself and Temari and Kankuro.

"Thank you Gaara," Temari smiled down at her red headed brother who had changed so much. She looked out at the desert and focused her gaze on the approaching danger. She didn't really know what to expect. She could remember Uchiha Sasuke's power, but who knew how much he had gained since the last time they fought. That was also if you didn't count the other three he had with him, who could they possibly be? She looked back down at Gaara, who was in deep meditation. She knew how much her brother didn't like the Uchiha, and taking him alive was going to be difficult for him. He wasn't one for taking prisoners.

It wasn't too long before the specks of black became more distinguished forms in the distance. Gaara's eyes opened slowly and he stood, letting the sand fall back into place. "Are you ready?" he asked, the two nodded and looked forward as well. Sasuke's face was visible through the heat of the desert but this was their element. The heat didn't bother them and the sand, well, it was like family.

Sasuke and his group stopped just a couple yards away from the trio. Gaara's arms were crossed firmly over his chest. "Well Uchiha, long time no see." He said shortly, keeping his icy glare on the only threat in his mind. There was a woman with odd colored hair, her thick rimmed glasses were hiding her heartless eyes behind a glare. The largest of the men moved forward, but Sasuke stopped him by holding his arm out. The forth member wasn't too impressive looking, in fact he looked like he was about to die from dehydration. A large sword rested on his back, ready to attack, but he really looked too tired to do anything.

Sasuke's black stare focused on Gaara finally and he smirked, "Yes. Long time. I heard you've become the Kazekage, Gaara." He taunted, his eyes daring Gaara to move but he wasn't intimidated at all by this emo punk.

"What do you want Sasuke? You're a renegade and you sure as hell don't have any right to be wandering around in my desert." He informed the dark haired man, letting his arms fall to his sides. Sasuke just looked amused, as if he had some secret that only he knew and he couldn't wait to share with someone.

"The ninja world is messed up Gaara, and I'm here to get rid of all the people who control that world. The five Kage's." Sasuke stated simply. Both Temari and Kankuro gasped and looked from Sasuke to Gaara. "I also happen to know that you no longer house the Shukaku, so what on earth are you still doing as Kazekage?" he asked, leaning back on one of his heels and exchanging his weight from foot to foot. He looked ready to attack but Gaara was ready as well, he was in his natural element. Sasuke was an idiot to try and kill him here in the desert.

"You really haven't changed, have you Uchiha?" Gaara actually laughed, his own rivaling smirk creeping across his face. "You've come to kill me, yet you attempt to do it in the desert. Are you really that cocky? Or just plain stupid?" the redhead asked, his voice remaining the same despite his satisfied look.

"Like I said Gaara, you don't have the Shukaku anymore, and you are no longer a threat. But the Kage's must be eliminated. For Itachi." He muttered the last part, his dark soulless eyes twisting into crimson red. Sasuke's hand moved to the sheathed sword at his side, gripped the hilt, and lunged at Gaara, closing the distance between them. A small look of panic flashed across Sasuke's face when he saw the sand respond instantaneously and shoot at him. If he hadn't had the sharingan activated it would have cost him his life. He dodged to the side and slid on the grainy sand. "How?" he demanded, glaring at Gaara and trying to catch him in an illusion. But Gaara was no fool, he was focusing on Sasuke's feet, that way he would know every move he would take, by the position and step.

"I don't know how." Gaara admitted, but inwardly he knew it was always him who had controlled the sand and not Shukaku. "It's just the way it is, looks like I'm still more powerful than you Uchiha. Just like the old days." Gaara took in a deep breath and gave signaling nods to Temari and Kankuro.

The odd looking girl looked tense and alarmed. "They're going to attack!" she told the others in warning. Gaara's glare darted toward the woman, how could she have known that? But Temari and Kankuro were already moving. He could feel the wind change as his sister's fan opened and she whipped it across the sand, battering the two men with sand and wind so hard that it was scraping their skin. The smaller of the two wailed in pain and bared his teeth like a shark ready to attack.

"I hate the desert!" the small silver haired man cried out, pulling his sword from his back and pointing it at Temari. She seemed amused by the thought that a water ninja could attempt to fight her in the desert. She pulled her fan back and lashed another windstorm at the larger of the two, trapping him in a vicious vortex, sand scraping harshly at his skin. His blood was already splattering on the yellow sand. Temari ran at the smaller man and shut her fan quickly, bringing it down on his head. But he met her metal fan with his blade easily, despite his flustered and pale face, he wasn't going to be an easy target.

Suigetsu slid towards her, metal scraping against metal. He pushed her back and she swayed for a moment, but Suigetsu took the momentum and slashed at the opening he saw. His sword slammed against a wall of sand and he growled, annoyed at the sand master who was protecting his siblings just as well as himself.

Temari ran towards Suigetsu with her fan ready to crack down on his skull. He raised his sword in defense, gritting his teeth together and baring them as a shark does to his prey. "Come on fan girl. I'll cut you to pieces!" he laughed maliciously, running at her as well to meet her attack. They clashed with a vibrating force now stuck in a standoff.

Temari heaved forward with all her strength, she only had one chance or else this trap wouldn't work and they would see it the second time. She opened her fan in a split second after she shoved Suigetsu off and sent a gust of wind after him. He was knocked off balance, but something caught him. The sound of latching wood was all Suigetsu could hear as darkness surrounded him. "Go Kankuro!" Temari urged on as her brother moved his fingers delicately, detaching the arms and legs of his puppets. The hidden knives slipped out to the ends and with another slight move of his fingers the arms and legs sped towards the trapped Suigetsu.

"NOO!" a loud roar came as the large man charged at them, but a moment too late. Another ear shattering scream pierced the air and blood seeped through the puppet. All of the knives had gone into place. Juugo changed his coarse straight for Temari, slamming into her back. The impact was so strong it sent her flying into a nearby sand dune.

"Temari!" Kankuro yelled attempting to run for his sister but the large man intercepted him and stood alert and ready to fight, his muscles rippling.

Gaara glanced over at the shout of his sister's name and went wide eyed at what he saw. His sister was down and Kankuro was facing the biggest of the group. He glanced back to Sasuke just in time to avoid the sword strike that was aimed at his side. This was going to be difficult, how could he capture Sasuke without killing him? It proved to be a lot more challenging than he would have ever imagined. He looked towards the girl with the thick glasses and saw her concern for the Uchiha, how on earth could girls like this emo freak?

"Remember Sasuke!" Karin called out, moving her sleeve up. Gaara tried to eye her skin, it looked damaged. "If you get hurt at all just come and bite me!" she finished, holding her arm close to her chest. Gaara inhaled sharply and looked back at Sasuke, but his gaze returned to the girl. There was no way he was going to let Sasuke have that ace in the hole. Gaara lifted his hands and the sand beneath Sasuke rose and tossed him off and rolled over him, burying him beneath the scorching specs. He grasped the air, aiming towards Karin, the sand beneath her twirling at her feet. "Wh-what's going on?" she gasped and tried to move. But the moment she tried to move from her spot the sand shot up and wrapped tightly around her. "No!" she yelled out before the sand began to cover her mouth. "SASUKE!" she tried to scream before she was completely sealed in the sand cocoon. The sound was cut off and Gaara closed his hand abruptly, another muffled scream was heard followed by a drizzle of blood.

A pale hand shot out of the sand as Sasuke began to drag himself from the sand. Gaara knew that would never finish off the Uchiha, but he needed him out of the way to get rid of the others. Juugo looked over towards the bloodied sand and started grunting. "Sasuke…we should go." He said softly, his voice far more kind than his appearance gave off.

Juugo began to turn, his mind already made up as he began to stalk off. He was not going to sit around for this losing battle. He could clearly see that that was the direction it was headed in. Sasuke was shaking the sand from his hair and trying to steady his feet on the shifting grains. "Don't you dare leave Juugo!" Sasuke yelled after him, but the giant did not stop his retreat. Sasuke looked back at Gaara, trying to assess the situation.

Gaara sighed, how like the Uchiha, running from a fight. A true shinobi would be able to see when their opponent was stronger than them. Or when they were entering into a losing fight. It was painfully obvious now, that Uchiha Sasuke was not the great warrior that everyone thought him to be. Gaara smirked, his own confidence growing even more.

Temari finally forced her sore body up from the sand and saw the large man walking away. There was no way she was going to let him get away after trying to kill her and her siblings. She started out running after him, and the sudden movement caught the Uchiha's attention. His red eyes focused solely on Gaara's sister. He needed an edge and she would be the one to give it to him. In an instant Sasuke was gone and appeared behind the wind shinobi, his sword drawn and the sounds of a thousand chirping birds ringing through the air.

"Temari!" Gaara yelled, sending his sand after her as fast as he could, but he was a moment too late. His sister's scream filled the air and her blood stained the golden sand. Sasuke's chakra filled sword was run straight through Temari's shoulder, ripping through the bones and muscle. She fell to her knees and let out another agonized yell from the movement of the blade.

Unfortunately for Sasuke that was the wrong moment to have his back towards the sand master. The irate grains were filled with hate as they dragged Sasuke away from his sister, making him release his sword. Temari fell to the ground, ripping the sword out as quickly as she could. She felt the ache slowly spread through her body as she lay flat on the desert floor. Eventually it got too great for her body to handle and her eyes closed in exhaustion.

Sasuke was finally in front of Gaara, the furious redhead glared down at the Uchiha. His hands were in tight fists and his knuckles as white as snow. "How dare you!" Gaara bent down and hit Sasuke with all his might. Sasuke's face shot to the side, his body encased by sand that was getting harder by the moment. "Your arrogance has pissed me off for the last time Uchiha…you have sealed your fate." The sand master whispered, hatred dripping from his every word. That was the last thing Uchiha Sasuke heard before everything went black.


	2. Konoha

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Two_

-Konoha-

She was walking in the forest. She couldn't remember why she was there, but some unknown force was telling her to walk forwards. It was twilight, leaving just enough light for her to see where she was going. It felt like she had walked for miles until eventually, she reached a clearing. What she saw shocked her. Not five feet in front of her stood Sasuke and Gaara. Gaara had most of Sasuke covered in sand and looked as if he was about to crush him, while Sasuke had his katana at Gaara's throat, poised to strike.

She looked at them in confusion. "Sasuke? Gaara? What's going on?"

Sasuke turned his head to face her. "It's time to choose Sakura."

"Choose what?" she asked cautiously. At that point Gaara had turned his head to face her also, and when she locked eyes with him she felt as though she could drown in their jade depths. Then he spoke, breaking the spell she was under.

"You must choose which one of us to save."

She wanted to ask more questions, but knew that neither of them would answer. So, who to save?

Sasuke was too fast and quick thinking to not already have a plan on how to get out of Gaara's sand coffin, and Gaara had his sand shield to protect him from Sasuke's katana, even though it had special abilities. She should save Gaara, because he was the Kazekage of Suna, and his village would suffer if he died. But Sasuke was her former teammate and long time love. Naruto would be devastated if he died. Heck, he would be devastated if either one of them died.

But if you put all logic aside, which one did _she_ want to save?

She didn't know Gaara very well, in fact, she hadn't really ever held a conversation with him before, but she knew that he was a great ally and friend to have on your side. Sasuke on the other hand she knew. Somewhat. True, he had changed over the years he had been away, but deep down he was still that troubled, lost 12 year old boy, looking for love. She just knew it.

If she really thought about it she cared more for Sasuke than she did Gaara, but there would be more consequences if Gaara died instead of Sasuke. Torn between what she knew was the right choice and what she wanted, she clutched her head and sank to the ground, crying.

"If you cannot choose, then we will both die." With that she heard Sasuke yell. "Lightning Blade!" as Gaara muttered, "Sand coffin!"

"NO!"

She bolted upright in her bed, the last of her screams fading into the darkness of her room. She was covered in sweat, her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest, and she was on the verge of hyperventilating. To sum it all up, she was freaking out. She shook her head frantically, trying to get rid of what she had just seen.

"It was just a dream Sakura, get a hold of yourself." She muttered, trying desperately to calm her still racing heart.

Taking a shaky breath, she got out of bed and went into her bathroom. The best thing to make her feel better right now was a nice, warm bath. Seeing as it was her day off, she could afford such a luxury. She turned on the water, and poured a healthy amount of bubble bath into the tub. Once all that was done she took off her pajamas and got in.

* * *

About an hour and a half later she left her apartment, heading out to get some groceries. After all, she wasn't scheduled to go on any missions this month, since Tsunade-shishou had told her that she would be needed at the hospital. It was one of those rare times when she could buy food and not have to worry about it expiring if she was called away on a mission.

As she reached the marketplace a shadow passed overhead. She looked up, thinking it was a fellow ninja, only to see a messenger hawk from Suna. Her brow furrowed slightly. Strange. As far as she knew they didn't have any upcoming meetings, and the treaty didn't need to be discussed or changed again. Although, the way the Konoha Elders were, as well as the Suna Council, one never knew. The only other possibility was that something bad had happened. Not wanting to be caught unprepared, she decided to forego grocery shopping and instead went to find Naruto. Because if there was something bad happening in Suna, no doubt it would be their team that would be called to lend aid.

She went to Ichiraku, knowing that he usually went there first after returning to the village. She didn't even have to scan for him along the stools, for it was difficult to not see the orange-clad ninja. A smile came to her lips as she walked up behind him. "Hey Naruto. How was your mission?"

The blonde turned around quickly on his seat, and engulfed her in a fierce hug. "Sakura-chan! I missed you so much!"

"Naruto let up a little will you? Besides, you were only gone for three days!" she laughed, admitting if only to herself that she had missed him as well.

After one last squeeze, the blonde released her. "Sorry Sakura-chan, but you know how excited I get."

Sakura waved him off, still smiling. "Yeah, yeah I know. So? How did the mission go?"

"It was awful! Hinata and I barely had to do anything! I wish Baa-chan would give me better missions." He whined, sounding almost tortured.

She laughed. At least he and Hinata got to spend some quality time together. Maybe he would make a move soon and ask her out already, for despite the Hyuuga heiress having confessed to him, it seemed as though he was avoiding the subject entirely. "Maybe if you were nicer to her she would give you better missions."

He crossed his arms in defiance. "Well maybe if she gave me better missions I would be nicer to her."

They held a staring contest for a few seconds, and then burst into laughter. Realizing that she hadn't eaten breakfast that morning due to her disturbing dream, she sat down next to Naruto and joined him in a bowl of ramen. They talked animatedly for about an hour. Even though it hadn't been that long since she had last seen him, it was still good to catch up and just joke around. Naruto was always good to talk to when you wanted to cheer up.

"So what's bothering you Sakura-chan? You seem a little down." Naruto asked her after a few moments of silence between them.

She frowned slightly. Curse Naruto and his untimely observations. "It's nothing really, I just had a weird dream last night."

"I get those all the time! One time I had this dream about ramen, but the ramen was talking to me, and then-" Suddenly a shinobi that usually ran the Hokage's messages ran up to them. Sakura herself was glad for the interruption. She'd heard enough ramen dreams to last her a lifetime. The shinobi stopped a foot away from them and bowed.

"Sakura-san! Naruto! Hokage-sama needs you in her office right away!" Sensing that this had to do with the Suna messenger hawk she saw earlier, Sakura grabbed Naruto's arm and began running towards Hokage Tower.

"Aw man! I didn't get to finish telling you my dream!" the jinchuuriki lamented.

"We don't have time for that Naruto! I think something's happened in Suna!" The punk haired woman told him. That shut him up quickly. She knew that he was worried about Gaara, but with the Shukaku gone, what more could Akatsuki want with him?

They burst through the doors of the Hokage's office and saw that Kakashi was already there. Before anyone could say anything, Naruto ran up to Tsunade's desk, hitting the wood with the palms of his hands and yelled, "What is it Baa-chan? Did something happen to Gaara?" Tsunade leaned around Naruto and raised a brow at Sakura. She shrugged in embarrassment, being caught as the one who caused Naruto's worry.

"I saw the Suna messenger hawk this morning Shishou. Naturally I assumed that something important had happened and that was why you called us here on our day off." She explained.

Tsunade sighed. "Sometimes I forget how smart you are Sakura." She turned back to Naruto. "Calm down baka and let me explain." There was a pregnant pause as she waited for everyone's attention. "Someone tried to attack Suna earlier today."

Everyone in the room gasped.

"Who was it Shishou? What happened?" Sakura spoke up, her dream resurfacing in her mind. No, it couldn't be. Could it? There was no way that that had happened. It was impossible.

"It was Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura went deathly white. She didn't believe in coincidences, but this was just too weird. The fact that right after she had a dream with both Sasuke and Gaara in it, trying to kill each other, Gaara captures Sasuke in an attempt to kill him, had to mean something. Maybe her dream was meant to be a warning of things to come?

Naruto exploded. "What? That bastard tried to attack Suna? Where is he? Let me go get him Baa-chan! I'll bring him back this time! I-"

"Naruto! Shut up and pay attention!" Tsunade yelled. This quieted the blonde immediately. The Hokage sighed before looking back at Sakura and Kakashi. "All we know is that Sasuke tried to attack Suna earlier this morning. Apparently he thought he would try and kill the Kages in their own villages, since he couldn't do it at the summit."

At this point Kakashi spoke up. "What do you need us to do Hokage-sama?"

"I need you three to go to Suna and bring Sasuke here. While this crime is against Suna, Gaara has graciously agreed to hand him over to us for interrogation and punishment, since he was once a Leaf shinobi." She pointed a warning finger at Naruto. "Don't make me regret allowing you to go on this mission Uzumaki."

"That means you need to control yourself Naruto." Kakashi let out a soft sigh.

Naruto nodded. "I'll do my best." He promised.

"Sakura, you seem very quiet. Is everything ok?" the masked jounin asked her.

She covered up her true feelings with a fake smile. "Yes everything is fine. I'll meet you guys at the gate in an hour." Then she fled the room, wanting to be in the confines of her home before she couldn't hold in her true feelings.

When she got home she was determined not to think about it. Her dream had nothing to do with what had just happened. Quickly, she threw all her ninja gear into her pouches, also adding in some herbs and medicines she might need, since Sasuke could use poison, thanks to Orochimaru.

As usual, she was the first one to arrive at the meeting spot, shortly followed by Naruto, and then Kakashi. Without a word they leapt into the trees, wanting to get to Suna as soon as possible. Hardly anything was said on the way there, and it reminded her of their last trip to Suna, when it was Gaara they were going to retrieve. On the third day Kakashi had the group stop at a small oasis a short distance away from Suna to refill their canteens and make a plan.

"Ok, we already know that Gaara has Sasuke in custody. The important thing is to not overreact when we see him." the silver haired man said.

"But Kakashi-sensei, I need to give the bastard a piece of my mind!" Naruto wagged a fist in the air.

"That can wait until later Naruto. When we arrive we will most likely have to go and speak to Gaara in his office, and then wait for the proper protocol to be followed." Kakashi informed his former student. "How do you expect to become Hokage when you refuse to follow simple rules?"

Sakura decided to speak up then. "We will also have to stay the night, since we will be exhausted by the time we reach Suna."

"Excellent point Sakura. It will be another four or five days before Sasuke actually enters the walls of Konoha for the first time in five years. During the time it takes for us to bring him back there anything can happen."

Naruto looked confused. "Like what?"

Sakura sighed, already knowing the answer. "Leaf is not the only village that wants to punish Sasuke. Enemy ninja could try and take him from us. On top of that, he might have unknown allies that would want his freedom. We must be prepared for anything."

"Oh. Well I'm sure Gaara will give us an escort or something. It's not like he's just gonna hand Sasuke over and say good riddance." Their teacher nodded, rubbing at his masked chin.

Sometimes Naruto's faith in people astounded her. That's exactly what she would expect Gaara to do once they got there. Sasuke was not his responsibility, and he already had enough things to worry about besides helping a neighboring village with its prisoner.

Shortly after the conversation they left to continue their travels. Later that afternoon, they could see a small dot on the horizon.

Naruto pointed, "Look! There's Suna!" Then he began to run even faster. Sakura exchanged looks with Kakashi, and they both silently agreed to pick up the pace. They reached the village just as the sun was setting. Waiting for them at the entrance was Kankuro, badly bruised, and covered in enough bandages to look like a mummy.

"Hey guys. I'm glad you're here. It's been…well you should probably just wait and see." The puppet master sounded tired and worn.

"Well we had a good reason to get here as fast as we could." The leaf jounin said, trying to sound upbeat.

Kankuro nodded in agreement. "True. Follow me. I am to take you to see Gaara as soon as you arrive. You guys have much to discuss."

Sakura looked at Naruto knowingly. She knew that he wanted to see Sasuke, but, in Suna's defense, he had been warned that they wouldn't get to see him right away. They followed Kankuro through the village. Eventually they came upon a large building, similar to that of Hokage Tower, and in no time at all they were in front of the large doors that led into Gaara's office. Their guide knocked, asking for entry. A soft 'enter' was heard. As Kankuro reached to open the large double doors, Sakura took a sharp breath. Something told her that the next few days were going to have a huge impact on the rest of her life.


	3. Healing Annoyance

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Three_

-Healing Annoyance-

Kankuro ushered the group from Konoha into the Kazekage's office. Sakura was the last to enter the room, and the sight that she saw before her was almost appalling. Gaara sat in his chair, fingers laced together so tightly that his knuckles were stark white. He looked even more tired than she remembered, his dark rimmed eyes blacker than before. What could have possibly happened to force the Kazekage into this state? Sakura glanced around the room, taking note of Temari's absence. Hadn't Temari always been the one to meet them at the gate when they arrived instead of Kankuro? But before Sakura could ask about her missing friend, she blurted out the unthinkable, "So where's Sasuke?"

The tired eyes of the Kazekage shot up at the mention of the Uchiha, and his hands slammed on the desk as he stood abruptly. His set his icy glare on Sakura, the sand in the air surrounding her and pressing against her skin in an irritating manner. Sakura was wide eyed now, her face showing nothing but shock and fear. "Don't you DARE ask about that poor excuse of a shinobi!" Gaara yelled, and despite the fact that Shukaku was gone, he seemed more demonic than before.

"Gaara!" Naruto yelled, getting between Sakura and the furious redhead. "Calm down!"

"Calm down?" Gaara chuckled darkly, walking around his desk, his eyes now on Naruto. "Calm down? That rouge poisoned my sister!" he said, rage building suddenly. Naruto stood, determined and protective, in front of Sakura, who was trying to get another look at Gaara.

Temari was poisoned by Sasuke? How stupid could she be? She bit down on her lip, mentally hitting herself for her mistake. No wonder Gaara was so angry, his sister was dying and he was never good with emotions. Not to mention the fact that she should have asked about the blonde woman before even wondering about the Uchiha.

Sakura pushed Naruto aside, who was ready to fight and get Gaara back to normal the only way he knew how. Sakura stepped in front of the Kazekage, suppressing the fear that shot up her spine. "Gaara, I'm sorry! Please take me to Temari. I brought herbs from Konoha that should be able to help." She said, trying to placate him and watching his eyes for his reaction. She could see his anger begin to dissipate, but what he did next shocked her. Without a word he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to his body. The next thing she felt was the scratchy sand swirling around them, and when she opened her eyes they were in the hospital, in front of a room with Temari's name written on the board.

Sakura was in awe. She had always wondered what it felt like to travel the way Gaara did. The sand hadn't felt rough or harmful, it was warm and almost soothing. She glanced up at the sand master and noticed how close she was to him. He interrupted her thoughts with his monotonic voice, "Come on." He pushed her forward, his hand resting on the small of her back. She couldn't stop the blush that rushed to her face and the drop she felt in her stomach. How could someone like Gaara make her feel like that? She shook her head and tried to rid herself of the odd sensations. They entered the dimly lit room, and she knew that it was time to focus.

Gaara reached for the light switch and the room was immediately illuminated. "There she is," Gaara pointed towards the only bed in the room. There lay Temari, pale and clammy, sweat dripping from her forehead. Her blonde hair didn't seem as vibrant as it had once been. It was clear that she was dying…and quickly.

"No one here has the expertise in medicine to help her…please…Sakura…" Gaara began, looking away from her form and trying to keep his voice steady. "Sakura please save my sister," he said finally, obviously grieved.

She set her face in grim determination. No matter what, she would make sure that Temari survived. She looked Gaara in the eye and said, "I will do everything in my power to save your sister." With that, she walked over to the bed, and began to scan Temari with her chakra. This sort of thing came easy to her, and in a matter of seconds, she knew everything that was wrong. She turned to talk to Gaara, only to find that he had soundlessly moved next to her.

"Well obviously her shoulder is suffering from severe third degree burns. Those will take a while to heal. On top of that, she's been poisoned with a substance similar to snake venom." She informed him.

"So then what must you do to stop the poison from killing her?" he asked simply, looming over Sakura. "How long will it take? If you need anything from our greenhouse, tell me immediately and I will take you." He stood a whole head taller than her, and was standing so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

She turned, gently pushed him away, and said "Well first you need to back up and give me some space. Second, I have all the required herbs. I just need a mortar and pestle to mix the herbs together for the antidote."

"A what?" he asked blandly, confusion apparent on his face. "Forgive my ignorance, but I do not know what that is." He admitted, he was skilled in fighting, not this medicine magic. Before she could answer, the sand in the air picked up and swirled about the sand master. The next thing she knew, he was gone. It wasn't too long before he appeared in the room once more holding the instrument she required. "This is it, correct?" he said, offering the tools to her. She knew he was worried and trying to help, but it was still an odd reaction from the great Kazekage.

"Yes it is, thank you." She took the instruments from him and walked over to the counter. Taking off her pack, she began to get out all the things she would need. Turning to fill a bowl with water so she could draw out some of the poison, she let out a startled noise when she ran into Gaara, who was once again standing right behind her. She looked up at him, annoyance written all over her face.

"Gaara! What the hell? I thought I told you to give me some space to work!" she said.

He stared at her blankly, obviously not comprehending why it was such a big deal that he was looking over her shoulder. He was simply observing and watching her work. It was interesting, and he wanted to make sure she was doing it correctly, but then again he didn't know how to do it himself. "Are you sure that's what you should be doing?"

She raised a delicate brow at him. "This is the same method I used to save your brother. The only difference is that I didn't have you breathing down my neck." She pointed to the other side of the room where a chair was located. "Now go sit down in the corner like a good boy, and let me do my job."

Gaara slowly crossed his arms and gave her a threatening look, "Excuse me?"

She mimicked his action, and stuck her hip out in a defiant manner. "You heard me. It's either that or get out of the room. Now."

He couldn't help but laugh, a small smile creeping over his face as he leaned forward, invading her space once more. "Why don't you make me…little girl."

Deciding that it was too late back down, she grabbed his collar. "Fine." She then dragged him to the door, and with a final warning to stay out, shut it in his face. She made her way to the sink and filled the bowl with water. After a few cycles of drawing out the poison, she decided that it was safe to begin making the antidote.

She began to measure out an odorless, white powder, when a voice suddenly said, "Are you sure that's the right amount?"

Jumping, she somehow managed not to spill any of the powder, and turned to find Gaara back in the room.

"What are you doing in here? Don't you know how to follow orders?" she frowned.

He looked angry now, but then who wouldn't be after having a door slammed in their face. "I don't know who you think you are, but I'm the Kazekage. I can do as I please." He informed her through clenched teeth. He reached forward, grasping her behind the neck, and pulled her face to his, until they were inches apart. "So you learn how to follow orders."

Never one to back down from a fight, Sakura held her ground. "In the city, you are the Kazekage and in charge. But in a hospital, when someone's life is on the line,_ I_ am in charge. So I suggest you step aside, and let me do my job. The longer you get in my way, the smaller Temari's chance of survival is." And with that, she grabbed the hand holding her to him, and slowly released it from her neck.

Her words took effect quickly, and he allowed her to remove his hand from her. She was right, but of course he would never admit that aloud. His hard stare was the only thing he gave her as he walked to the back of the room and leaned against the wall. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest and he remained stubbornly quiet. Although he was ignoring her, he kept his eyes on her form, watching every little thing she did with her supplies.

Once that episode was over, it took her no time at all to finish making the antidote. When it was ready, she walked over to Temari and helped her to sit up. The blonde groaned, causing Gaara to rush over and help support her. Sakura, never one to accept help ungraciously, gave him a look of thanks. Then she tilted Temari's chin and began to pour the clear liquid down her throat. The blonde began to struggle as the antidote touched her tongue.

"Drink up Temari. You need to finish everything in the cup." The pink haired medic said soothingly.

Gaara held his sister gently, not uttering a word or even sparing Sakura a second glance. He was upset, and his sister's agony was not helping his bad mood. "It will be alright Temari, Sakura is here to help you."

At the sound of Gaara's voice, the blonde quieted down. When the contents of the cup were all gone, Sakura gently wiped Temari's mouth and helped Gaara lay her back down. "She will be okay now, right?" The redhead asked, his eyes containing slightly veiled concern. Sakura gave him a reassuring smile.

"Yes. She will wake up in a few hours." She said.

"What about her shoulder?"

She walked to the other side of the bed, standing next to Gaara. "Let me see what I can do." With that she placed her hand on the injured appendage, and let her green healing chakra flow. Gaara watched Sakura closely, his interest sparked. He had never actually watched the medic work before, and he couldn't help but notice how she seemed to be in her element, just as he was when on the battlefield.

It took almost an hour of straight healing, because the burns were so severe, but finally Sakura finished. The only indication that she even had a burn was a patch of red skin, similar to a burn that you would receive from the sun. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Sakura sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, that's all I can do for her. The burn should heal on its own in a few days. She just needs to apply some Aloe Vera on it three times a day."

Gaara nodded, relieved that Temari was safe from harm. He looked from his sleeping sister to the woman who saved her. His scowl deepened. He should thank her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before uttering something rare. "Thank you….Sakura."

She shook her head, waving her hands in front of her face. "It's no big deal. I'd do anything when one of my friends is in trouble."

Gaara couldn't help but stare at her in surprise. "Friends…" that was probably not the word he would have chosen for her. Her actions earlier had indicated that she was angry with him. So why the sudden change? And there was also that incident from the chunin exams seven years ago. In his mind, she had every reason to hate him, all these years later. When he looked back at her, he saw the uncertainty creep over her face.

"We are friends, aren't we Gaara?" Sakura asked, now doubting herself. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say to the Kazekage. Now that she thought about it, he probably didn't even like her. They didn't even get along very well, if earlier wasn't an indication. He probably thought she was exceedingly annoying…just like Sasuke did. Causing her to feel pain, as thoughts of the rogue boy usually did, Sakura gripped her chest, right over where her heart was located. An action she performed without conscious thought.

Gaara tensed, knowing that stance and what it meant. He had felt that pain so many times in his childhood. That pain of wanting others to recognize your true worth, and love you for it. Her heart was hurting, just like his had for all those years. He stepped closer to her, taking the hand that was tightened over her heart in his as gently as he could. "Yes," he said quickly, giving her hand a small squeeze. He didn't even know why he was comforting her, but his instinct told him that it was the right thing to do.

Sakura blinked, a little shocked. The Kazekage just kept surprising her, "Yes?" she questioned. She didn't really understand his response, since he had paused for a long time.

"I do not wish for your heart to hurt. It is my duty as Kazekage to make sure my…friend's…yes, my friend's hearts never hurt." He explained, trying to be kind, even though it was a new concept for him. He looked back towards his sister and began pushing Sakura from the room. "I would like my sister to rest in peace and I feel we are disturbing her." He explained once they were outside the room and the door was shut.

Sakura nodded in agreement. Gaara had grown into such a fine man, and she couldn't help but feel jealousy. She felt as though she were the only one who hadn't changed over the years. Though, that didn't mean his attitude didn't still get on her nerves. What was with him earlier, was watching her work really that interesting? She sighed and met Gaara's faded green gaze with a smile. "Well I'm glad Temari will be ok." Growing uncomfortable from their shared contact, she began to pull her hand from his. As if realizing the same thing, he released it quickly, letting his own fall back to his side.

"Gaara! Sakura-chan! There you two are!" an obnoxiously familiar yell came from down the hall.

Sakura twitched a delicate brow and glared at her blonde friend, who had begun running down the hallway towards them. "QUIET DOWN NARUTO!" she shouted back. "People are TRYING to rest!"

Gaara couldn't help but smirk at the irony of her statement. Naruto reached them, panting and sweating, "I've been looking everywhere for you two." He shook his fist in the air, obviously upset. "You just up and disappeared!"

The redhead just sighed, running one of his hands through his hair. "Naruto…think about it. Use context clues."

Sakura nodded, holding her finger up, like she was scolding a child. "Yeah Naruto, it was pretty obvious as to where we went."

"I asked Sakura to help heal Temari, who had been injured and poisoned pretty badly…so when we disappeared, the only place we could've gone would have been the hospital." Gaara stated. Realization dawned on the fox boy's face, and he slammed his fist into an open palm.

"Of course! When you put it that way, it does make sense!" he grinned happily, rubbing beneath his nose.

Both Gaara and Sakura sighed in unison and looked to each other, startled. Recovering quickly, Gaara held out a hand and said, "Come on Sakura, you may stay in my mansion while you're here. As thanks for healing my sister."

At that statement, a light blush dusted Sakura's cheeks. "That's okay Gaara. I'm fine staying in the hotel with my team." It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the offer, but she always felt out of place among such fine places. And staying in a mansion would definitely make her feel inadequate. She always did prefer the simpler things in life anyways. But the redhead would brook no argument.

"Does it not honor you that the Kazekage has offered for you to stay in his home? Is it not good enough for you?" Gaara wondered, his thoughts racing to accusations of her holding herself above him. Or maybe even fear of him.

Not wanting to be misunderstood, she hastily replied "No it's not that! I just don't want to be a burden! Your thanks is more than enough. What I did for Temari I did because I wanted to. Not because you asked me, and not because I thought I was going to get anything out of it."

He understood where she was coming from, but in this way he would show his superiority, as a means of getting back at her for questioning his alpha male instincts. That decided, he leaned closer to her, locking their gazes in a battle of wills. He _would_ be the victor this time around. "Really, Sakura. I insist."

He was trying to back her into a corner, but she would have none of it. "Well I really should stay here to keep an eye on Temari's recovery. If something should happen when I'm away-"

"Then one of the nurses can take care of it and a message will be sent to you immediately. You said so yourself that she would be fine. Do you doubt your ability as a medic? What would Tsunade-sama think?" that Kazekage taunted, his smirk already forming on his face.

Her brow furrowed in anger. Nobody questioned her ability as a medic, not even the Kazekage. She lifted a delicate finger and poked him in the chest. "Now listen here and listen good buddy. I am one of the best damned medics you will find in the country. When I say someone will be fine, I mean they will be fine. Don't you dare question my abilities. The next time you do, you will find yourself thrown through the nearest object." She poked him once more for emphasis, and before she could retract her finger, the temperamental redhead seized it.

"Well, if you insist, then you should have no problem in proving that by staying in my mansion." And before she could protest, he whisked them away in a cloud of sand.

Standing in the middle of the hospital hall was a confused Naruto. He began to look around for his friends. "Damnit! There they go again leaving me behind! And I needed to talk to Gaara too!" He scratched his head in confusion. "What was it they said about context clues…..? Heck, I don't even know what context clues are!" Giving a defeated sigh, the blonde jinchuuriki decided to just wait until morning.


	4. Mission Impossible

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Four_

-Mission Impossible-

By the time it dawned on Sakura that Gaara had whisked her away, again, it was too late. When she felt her feet touch the ground, she immediately pulled away from him, scowling. "Why do you keep doing that? You can't just grab people and take them wherever you want to go! You could at least ask for their acquiesce first!"

He just stood there and looked at her blankly. "If I had waited you only would have argued more, and I can only tolerate our squabbles for so long. It's entertaining to see you at least try to get your way." He smirked, turning away from her and heading towards the stairs. He didn't want to hear what else she had to say, and her opinion on some things just didn't matter.

She huffed and looked away from him, crossing her arms in the process. "So." He glanced back and smirked. She was behaving like a child now, and it was almost funny. Without saying anything he began to walk up the long staircase near the front door. "Hey! Where are you going?" she demanded, stomping her foot.

He continued up the stairs without looking back at her, knowing that she would follow. She didn't disappoint him. He walked down the hall until he stood in front of a large wooden door on his left. Turning to her, he said, "This will be your room." Then he pointed to a set of double doors at the end of the hall. "That is my room. Nobody goes in my room if they value their life. You would do well to remember that." And without another word, he vanished behind the doors.

Exhaustion overriding anger, Sakura cautiously opened the door to her room. What she saw made her gasp. The room was about the same size as her small apartment in Konoha. There was a huge king sized bed in the center of the room, with a fireplace directly in front of it. It contained a small sitting area, with a couch and two chairs, and on the other side of the room there was a huge bay window. Walking to the window, she noted that she could see practically all of Suna, including Gaara's office building. The mansion must be located on some sort of hill, she thought.

Deciding that she wanted to take a bath before bed, she walked across the room and opened the bathroom door. Again she had to stifle a gasp. Not only did the bathroom have a shower and a bathtub, but the tub was large enough to be a small pond. There was also a huge closet in the corner, and a vanity on the opposite wall.

She turned on the water in the bath, and turned to look at herself in the mirror while it filled up. She hadn't changed much over the years. She was taller, but not noticeably, and although she had filled out a little, it wasn't enough to suit her. As she got in the tub she couldn't help but wonder if Sasuke would see how she had changed. Deciding that it was something best left to contemplate later, she focused on the feel of the hot water touching her skin. Her tired muscles relaxed as the water soaked in, and she was perfectly content to just lay there for a while. Maybe staying at the Kazekage's mansion wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Gaara sat up from his sleepless night. He rubbed his dark eyes, letting the sheets fall to his bare waist. He was getting tired of not sleeping again, it had been nice when the demon was removed and he experienced the nothingness of sleep. The redhead grasped his black silk sheets, threw them to the side, and got out of bed. He stood straight, stretching in the process. After he cracked his back, he stretched out his arms one at a time, letting out a sigh. "I guess making breakfast for our guest would be a kind thing to do," Gaara mumbled to himself, glancing over at his dresser. He was only in his loose drawstring black pants and nothing more. An evil grin crossed his face. He'd wait to put a shirt on. It would be interesting to see Sakura's reaction to his body. She was, after all, so skilled at being awkward.

With that Gaara walked toward his doors and slipped out into the hall, making his way silently to the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway to the warm cooking area and scratched his head, thinking deeply. "What do people from Konoha eat anyway?" he wondered aloud. He shrugged. She would just have to eat whatever he made her. After all, this was a rare treat from him, and she wouldn't dare refuse.

He took down a couple of pans and placed them over the oven. Twisting on the heat control, he set the eyes to warm up. He opened the large two door fridge and took out some bacon, sausage, a couple of eggs, and a carton of orange juice. He set the meat in the largest of the frying pans, the sound of it sizzling as it cooked filling the kitchen.

Gaara reached over and grabbed the eggs he had set on the counter. Then, in one swift motion, he cracked them over the other hot pan. He then focused on making the toast. Once he took it out of the oven and buttered it he placed it on a plate on the counter. As he returned to the stove, he had his sand search the kitchen for a tray he could use to carry the food. He pulled out another plate and started loading the food, making it look professional.

After he arranged the food he looked over at his kitchen table and saw a vase filled with yellow tulips that Temari had set there the day they went to capture the Uchiha. He stood straight and eyed the flowers for a moment. Was that too much? He was doing this to thank her for saving his sister after all, and it would make his presentation look nice. He let his sand reach up and grabbed a small glass vase. Once he had placed a single tulip in the vase, he set it on the tray, and picked it up.

Gaara made his way back up the stairs to Sakura's bedroom door. He shaped his sand into a hand, and opened the door without knocking. The uncaring redhead walked right in, getting the scream he expected.

Sakura wretched the sheets up from the bed to cover herself. "Gaara! What do you think you are doing just barging in here?"

The Kazekage just let out a small laugh, "Sakura you're dressed. I don't know why you're making it into such a big deal and hiding yourself." He said simply, since she was indeed clothed in her nightwear.

"That has nothing to do with it! You don't know if I use pajamas or not! What if I had been naked?"

He smirked and rose what could be seen as a brow. "Then we would be doing something other than talking."

She gaped at him "How dare you! I would punch you into oblivion before I did anything like _that_ with _you_!" she said pointing an accusing finger at him.

He scoffed. "Please Sakura, get your head out of the gutter. I was merely suggesting that there would be an awkward silence of some sort as we both tried to process the situation."

"Oh." She blinked, lowering the sheet slightly as she saw the truth in his words.

He walked across the room and set the tray down on her nightstand. Crossing his arms, he said "So how long have you been having these dirty thoughts about me?"

It was then she noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and she stared in shock. True, this wasn't the first time she had seen a man's chest, traveling with mostly male ninjas and working at the hospital allowed for this to happen often. But never had she seen such a perfect specimen. His chest was a plane of hard grooves and smooth skin. Blushing at her train of thought, she quickly looked away and crossed her arms. "Don't flatter yourself Sabaku."

There was a pregnant pause until she noticed the delectable aroma coming from her right. She looked over to her nightstand and saw the wonderful meal that Gaara had made. Forgetting her earlier embarrassment, she threw off her covers and positioned the tray over her legs. "Oh Gaara! How sweet of you to cook for me!" She squealed in delight, promptly beginning to dig in.

He was speechless. One moment they had been arguing normally, and the next she was revealing parts of her form that were usually hidden beneath her ninja clothes. Like her legs. It seemed that his plan to knock her off balance with his lack of dress backfired. Turning away from that train of thought the redhead turned and said, "Think nothing of it. Now hurry up and put something decent on. We have to meet the rest of your team soon." With that he shut the door behind him.

She sat there, shocked, with a forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth. Had she said something? Shrugging it off, since by now she was beginning to get used to the redhead's mood swings, she finished her meal.

* * *

"What do you mean you're going to execute him?" Naruto's loud voice rang out.

Gaara gave the blonde loudmouth a silencing glare. "The Uchiha must be punished for his crimes against Suna. I know that I had originally sent the Hokage a message saying that you could have him, but after this last stunt he pulled enough is enough."

Sakura was still stunned from what she had heard. She and Gaara had left the house at the same time that morning, and had walked to his office in a companionable silence. Then, once everyone had arrived, he announced that Sasuke was going to be publicly executed in two weeks. Kakashi didn't seem surprised by the news, but Naruto was outraged, and immediately began to yell at his friend.

"You can't do that to him! He doesn't know any better! He's been through a lot over the years and he's confused. If you just talk to him I'm sure-"

Gaara rose slowly, his hateful glare focused on his most trusted friend. "I do NOT wish to speak to that imbecile. I don't care if he's been through a lot. You think I haven't?"

This question silenced the blonde. They all knew what Gaara was referring to. Not only did he have a tough childhood, but he had to win over the village in order to become the Kazekage. And then there was also that incident with the Akatsuki.

"Uchiha Sasuke has sealed his fate. I have already sent a message to your Hokage, and she said she understands completely. Once the execution is over with, I expect this matter to be behind us." With that said, the redhead dismissed them.

* * *

Naruto gave a frustrated growl. "I can't believe him! He of all people should believe in giving others a second chance!" Then the blonde stalked off, probably to find some misfortunate shinobi to spar against. Kakashi just shrugged, and said something about writing a letter to Tsunade.

Not knowing what to do, Sakura went to the hospital to check on Temari. When she walked into her hospital room, the blonde woman was sitting up in her bed.

"Sakura! I'm so glad you came by to visit!"

"Well I had to see how my patient was doing. Are you feeling okay?" Sakura smiled brightly, relieved her friend was already so much healthier.

"I'm feeling much better thanks to you." Temari returned the gesture and motioned for Sakura to take a seat on the bed with her. "So what's going on? You're more pale than usual."

Sakura's face became solemn as she sat on the bed next to the blonde, her thoughts returning to the situation with Sasuke. "Gaara is going to execute Sasuke in two weeks."

She could see Temari's grip on the sheets tighten, her face contorting into anger as if she were reliving the memory of the attack. "I thought that Gaara said he was going to give Uchiha Sasuke to Konoha."

"I know, but I guess with what Sasuke did to you, Gaara has had enough. He wants blood. Particularly Sasuke's." the pink haired woman explained.

"I understand that he's upset, but Naruto will never forgive him. On top of that, this will probably ruin the peace we have with Konoha. People in your village will resent Suna if we do away with the last Uchiha." The older blonde sighed, focusing on Sakura's face and trying to read her emotions.

"I know, but I don't know what to do. Staying in that mansion with him is going to be awful." Sakura groaned, now dreading every second she would be spending with the Kazekage.

"Wait, you're staying in the mansion?" Temari blinked and stared at Sakura in awe.

Sakura nodded, letting out another agonized sigh. "Yes. It was his way of thanking me for saving your life."

"Gaara is letting you stay in his house? As in he invited you?" she asked, sounding skeptical.

The pink haired medic nodded once more. What was so special about that?

"Gaara never lets anyone stay in his home!" Temari clapped her hands in joy. "That's perfect! You can spend every day trying to convince him not to kill Sasuke!"

"How?" Sakura asked, her delicate brow arching in curiosity.

"Oh I don't know, but you're a smart girl. You'll think of something." The wind shinobi assured.

They talked about random things after that, and Sakura did a small healing session on Temari's arm before leaving. When she got back to the mansion Gaara was still gone. Deciding to do something nice for him, she went into the kitchen to see what she could make for dinner. He didn't have a very big selection, so she made a grocery list and pinned it on the fridge. He did, however, have enough to make homemade pizza. She decided to make two, one cheese and another with pepperoni and sausage.

As the pizzas were cooking, she set the table, and got out a variety of drinks. She didn't know what Gaara liked, so she figured it was best to just let him choose. He came home right as she was slicing the finished pizzas. He entered the kitchen and gave her a blank stare.

"What is this?"

"It's dinner! I hope you like pizza, because that's really all you had that I could cook. I did make a grocery list though, so we can go tomorrow." Sakura informed him, placing two pieces of pizza on one of the plates.

"We?" Gaara asked, distrust evident in his voice. He walked forward slowly and eyed the food with suspicion.

"Yes we. You need to learn how to properly shop for groceries." She informed him, moving to get herself some pizza.

"No I don't." the redhead said shortly. "Temari does it for me."

Sakura watched him in wonder. Why did he look so uncomfortable? "That's my point. You can't depend on Temari forever. What are you gonna do when she meets a nice man and moves out?"

Gaara gave her a murderous glare. "That will never happen."

"So you don't want your sister to be happy?" she asked, raising a delicate brow.

He didn't reply. Instead he grabbed a glass and walked over to the sink and turned the cold knob. Once it was full Gaara turned off the tap and turned back to the cause of his irritation. If he thought ignoring her question would work, he was wrong.

"I didn't think so." Was all she said as grabbed a strawberry flavored drink and twisted the cap off.

Gaara stared at her warily and then slowly looked down at the food. Sakura caught his hesitation and crossed her arms angrily, "What?" she commanded to know what was on his mind.

He remained silent for a while before looking back at her. "It's not poisoned is it?" he asked seriously, his expression portraying nothing but solemnity.

Sakura almost fell backwards. "What?" she couldn't help but ask in disbelief. "No it's not poisoned! Why in the world would I try to poison you?" Sakura demanded, stomping her foot on the ground.

"Because," Gaara began, his jade focused on her emerald. "I'm the only one in the way of you getting your precious Uchiha." He said with disgust.

His words stabbed through her, the awful truth hitting her like a brick wall. Did he think she would stoop that low? If she looked at it from his perspective, he made perfect sense. He really was the only one standing between her and Sasuke. Hadn't she promised to do anything for the ebony haired avenger? Sakura tore her gaze away from his, tears welling up in her eyes. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. "If that is what you think of me then I should leave. There is no point in staying in a house with someone who doesn't trust me. Here's your dinner." There was nothing else for her to say. She had actually been silenced by Sabaku no Gaara.

She turned and picked up the plate she had made for Gaara, and offered it to him. He glanced down at the food, and let out a long sigh as he placed his hands over hers. "I'm…" he began softly, obviously struggling with the words, "…sorry." It sounded forced, but he truly did mean it. He had promised he would protect people, and he had verbally attacked a…friend.

He sat down at the table and lifted the pizza up and tore a bite out of it. Sakura stared at Gaara in pure astonishment, she really didn't want to ruin the moment with something stupid coming out of her mouth. She sat down where her plate was and started to eat as well. They ate in silence, until Sakura just couldn't keep it in any longer. She hated silence after all.

"Is that the only reason you're going to kill Sasuke? Because of what he did to Temari?" she blurted out, wishing she could grab all her words and force them back in her mouth.

Gaara sighed and set his pizza down. When he looked up Sakura could see the irritation in his eyes. "No it's not." He said simply, trying to control his temper now. He really didn't want to talk about Sasuke.

"Then…why?" Sakura asked, leaning forward in her chair, a look of curiosity on her face.

"Because I hate him. I've heard of his story from Naruto. Aside from the fact that he just tried to kill me and my family, he is the most ungrateful person I have ever met. My whole life…I wanted to be accepted by at least one person. My father sent people to kill me, my uncle personally came after my life, my siblings feared me, and my village hated me. I had to fight for everything I have now. The struggle I had to go through just to get my village to accept me and…" Gaara stopped, his hands forming into tight fists.

"I don't understand. Uchiha Sasuke had everything anyone could ever want or need. He had a home, friends, and a village that loved him, saw him as their protégé." He looked back up at Sakura and met her gaze. "But he threw it all away! And for what? To go against everything he was raised to care for! He gave up you, Naruto, his teachers, and his village. And in the end all he did was hurt the people who cared about him most, and kill his last living relative. He does not deserve to live any longer, at least not when his fate is in my hands."

Sakura could not find the right words to say. She always knew that Gaara had hated Sasuke, but she didn't realize how deeply rooted it was. "Gaara I'm-"

Gaara stood quickly and headed for the door. "Spare me Sakura, I do not need nor want your sympathy. I'm going to bed." He told her quickly, before leaving the kitchen and heading up the stairs.

Sakura watched the door after he left. Great, she thought to herself. She had successfully pissed of the Kazekage. She started to gather the plates and set them in the sink. She turned the faucet on, not wanting to leave his kitchen dirty. She took hold of a sponge and washed all the dishes she had used for their dinner. Once she was done she wiped her hands off and left the kitchen, flipping the light off before she left.

She took the stairs slowly and stopped at the top, did she dare go to the end of the hallway where Gaara was? The pink haired kunoichi started forward and halted at the two large mahogany doors. She raised her fist to knock on the door but hesitated, it was probably best to leave him alone for now.

The girl made an about face and headed back to her own room. She would just talk to him in the morning.


	5. Begin Operation

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Five_

-Operation Convince Gaara Not to Kill Sasuke and Take Him Back to Leaf: Day One-

Waking up that morning, Sakura felt a renewed vigor. She decided then and there that she would ignore Gaara's outburst the night before. She didn't like to dwell on things that upset her after all. That decided, she got ready to go to the market. Sunrise was the perfect time to buy groceries in her book. When she went downstairs, she found Gaara in the kitchen about to pour himself a bowl of cereal.

"Oh no you don't. We are going to the market today and you can grab something healthier while we're there." She said, taking the bowl out of his hands.

He paused and raised a brow at her. "Excuse me?"

She ignored the look he was giving her, and instead set the bowl away in the cabinet. "You heard me. Now let's go before all the good produce is gone." Then she grabbed his hand and began an attempt at dragging him to the door.

"Before _what_ is gone?" he asked, resisting the pull on his arm.

She directed some chakra into her feet and pulled harder, effectively tugging him across the tile. "The produce. You know, fruits and vegetables?" she rolled her eyes at him. "Geez, you're gonna need more help than I thought." Impossibly enough, her smile brightened. "At least we'll have an early start!"

"An early start? But I have to go to work." Gaara challenged her. Unfortunately, his statement fell on deaf ears.

Sakura simply rolled her eyes at his attempt to escape. "Oh please, like the Kazekage can't take one day off? You forget Sabaku no Gaara, that I _am_ Tsunade's student, and all she _does_ is lie around and do nothing but drink sake." The perky kunoichi dragged him closer to the door. When she reached it she gave him a pointed look before saying, "And she _still_ gets all her work done. So with that said," she smiled simply and pulled him out the front door.

* * *

Gaara stared wide eyed at the two orange spheres in his hands. "I…" he stopped midsentence, pressing his lips tightly together in a grimace. "I don't understand."

Sakura placed her hands on her hips and shook her head at him. "These are called oranges Gaara." She said, taking one of the fruits from him. "It's simple. Just lightly press on the fruits. If there are areas that are squishier than the rest, it's bruised. We don't want bruised fruit. So you put that back, and grab a different one."

Gaara followed her instructions and placed the fruit back into the box and examined the rest. He needed to outdo Sakura and show his superiority in fruit picking. "I know that they are oranges Sakura." He retorted, still looking for a prize specimen. "It's just…I've never seen an orange before. It was made into juice." He admitted a bit shyly.

Her eyes widened at his statement. "Oh." Before she could say anything more, Gaara pulled an orange out of the bunch. He held it out to her saying, "This one is perfect."

She took it from him and tried to stifle a laugh. "Um, this one is severely bruised on the other side." She turned it over, revealing a large, brown spot.

Gaara stared at the offending spot in disgust. "I see." Then he grabbed another orange, examined it, and handed it to her.

She looked the orange, which appeared to be totally fine on the outside, but it was as hard as a tennis ball. "Well, it would be perfect, except that it's not ripe enough to eat yet." She reached into the orange bin and pulled one out. After examining it she handed it to him. "Here, this is a good example of what we need."

He wordlessly took the orange from her and looked at it. It didn't seem that much different than the one he picked out. But Sakura was 'the expert', and he was not going to argue with her over something so trivial.

The day continued in a similar manner, with Sakura showing him how to tell which produce was the best or not, and where to look for it in the bins. She also tried to show him how to haggle with the merchants, but because he was the Kazekage, nobody would make him pay too high of a price.

As it neared ten o'clock Sakura dragged him into a bakery, where they had warm bagels. She even cut up some of the fruit they had bought earlier and put it on his bagel. When he looked at her questioningly she shrugged and said, "I told you we would eat something healthier, didn't I?"

"Yes, but I wasn't actually going to." Gaara sighed and looked away from the odd combination.

Sakura huffed and moved back into his line of vision. "Oh come on Gaara. Can't you just try it? You don't even know if you like it or not."

Gaara's gaze stayed on her now, his intrigue in her growing. She was definitely persistent, if not stubborn. "Fine Sakura, you win." He said simply, taking the bagel from her hand and taking a large bite into the bread and the fresh fruit. All Sakura could do was blink in surprise and watch the all-powerful and fearless Kazekage eat a, literally, fruity snack. He didn't say anything at first after he swallowed.

The silence was almost painful to Sakura, and without even realizing it she held her breath. "Well?" she finally asked, unable to keep herself quiet any longer.

He was staring at the food in his hand and then finally looked back into her eyes. "It's delicious," he informed her, his tone and face the same as they always were. But his answer was enough to make Sakura break into a smile and clap her hands together.

"See I knew you would like it! And from now on I will prepare your dinner so that you get some healthy food in that stomach. Quite honestly," Sakura laughed haughtily, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't know how you're not dead from the junk you eat."

Gaara sighed, he wouldn't feed her ego this time. He watched Sakura walk to the counter and followed her absently. No wonder he made Temari do the shopping, it was so boring, but for some reason Sakura seemed to enjoy it. He looked around the bakery at the people who were buying bread and rolls. They were all staring at him wide eyed, whispering to each other. But smiles were crawling up their faces, unlike before when his presence spread whispers of fear. A couple of girls around the age of sixteen attempted to walk casually behind him, but their giggling was a dead giveaway.

Of course, Sakura was oblivious to the background and focused on paying the woman who ran the bakery. "Here you go," she smiled, holding out a couple of silver coins for the bread and pastries. Her smile fell quickly and annoyance replaced her kind expression. The woman at the counter was clearly focused on the redhead behind her.

"Hello Kazekage-sama," the store owner blushed, giving him a small wave. At the sound of his name, Gaara moved his focus from the iced cakes to the dark haired woman at the front. His attention quickly fell on the steaming Sakura. Just like a woman, he thought with a small laugh, always mad unless the spotlight is on them. He couldn't help but link the similarities between Sakura and his sister.

Fortunately, Gaara knew how to handle the situation just right. His angry friend would win, as she did seem to love winning. He walked up to the counter and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, standing close behind her. "Hello," he gave a warm smile to the villager, who could do nothing to hide the disappointment on her face.

"Go ahead and pay the woman Sakura, we must be going." He leaned down closer to her face to let her see his smirk. Sakura raised a confused brow, but when she caught the woman's stare she could feel her own frown twisting into a grin. She set the money on the counter and turned with Gaara towards the door.

"Keep the change," Sakura called over her shoulder with a sly smile.

Gaara escorted Sakura outside. Once they were out in the sunlight his hand moved from her shoulder and back to his side. "What now?" he asked uninterested, all playfulness now gone from his face.

She was truly astonished at how fast he could change his mood. What was he? Some kind of manic depressant? "I don't know," she shrugged and looked around the market. "We could just browse since we're done with all the shopping for now."

"Do we have to?" Gaara asked making it sound like she had asked him if he wanted to strip down and jump into a pile of cacti.

"No we don't _have_ to," she glared, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "Do you have a better idea Mr. Buzz-Kill?"

"No." he replied, crossing his arms as well. The standoff had begun yet again.

Sakura brushed some of her bangs from her face and held his gaze with her own. "Well then looks like you don't have a choice." She challenged, daring him to try and defy her.

"I guess not," Gaara let his arms fall to his sides once more and walked towards the marketplace. Sakura was actually confused. Had that just happened? Sabaku no Gaara had given up so easily? She turned around and ran to catch up with the calm redhead. "Hey! What the heck? Why did you give in so quickly?" she asked, obviously confused.

He glanced down at her and shrugged, "I really don't wish to fight with you Sakura. At least not in public." He added, knowing it was hopeless to stop fighting altogether. Plus he just liked to piss her off sometimes.

She blinked and looked forward, still unable to process his actions, "Well alright then." She then led him off to the shops and began to browse through all the little trinkets. Suna was so amazing! It had the cutest knick knacks and stores. Gaara just followed her around, holding their things so she could look through everything Suna had to offer. She compared necklaces and bracelets, not knowing what she liked the most. That was until she saw it, a beautiful glass orb with a petrified cherry blossom inside. Sakura gasped and picked it up carefully. Gaara followed close behind her, trying to peer over her shoulder to see what it was.

"Wow! Gaara look at this," she turned and held it higher for him to see. He stared down at the small item. It truly was beautiful. He took it from her and gave it a closer look.

"I really like it. I wonder how they did that though." Sakura tapped her chin, getting lost deep in her thoughts.

Gaara didn't realize it, but a small smile crept up his face. He placed the orb back in her hands, "They probably buried a cherry blossom beneath the sand and used iron to attract lightning to trap it. This glass is made from sand struck by lightning." He told her with a small shrug.

Sakura's excitement only grew with the details he told her. Although the truth quickly dawned upon her, she didn't have the money to buy this. She sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Gaara couldn't help but notice the sudden change in her attitude. "Is something wrong Sakura?" he asked, wondering what could have possibly changed her so quickly.

"No, it's nothing." She tried to smile at him as she placed the glass orb down. "Come on, let's go see if we can find Naruto." She said, walking away from the stall. Gaara didn't follow immediately, instead he looked back at the item that Sakura had admired. It was so small, and didn't seem very significant. He turned after her and followed, despite the fact he didn't really want to deal with the blonde fox. All Naruto ever did was yell loudly and annoy him to no end.

* * *

They found Naruto at one of Sand's training grounds, probably preparing to fight Gaara for Sasuke. Before she or Gaara could utter a word, Naruto charged at them, and pulled Sakura away from the redhead.

"How could you walk around with this bastard Sakura-chan? He wants to kill Sasuke!" The blonde yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Gaara. Gaara simply looked angry. Probably from Naruto calling him the same name he calls Sasuke. The last thing she felt like dealing with so early in the day was two temperamental ninjas.

Sakura sighed. "Naruto, Sasuke is not going to be executed."

At this declaration the redhead swiftly turned his head in her direction. "Did you not hear me yesterday Sakura? The Uchiha _will_ die."

She crossed her arms and gave Gaara a half hearted glare. "Gaara come on, you can't really be serious about that."

Gaara's calm mood was now gone, and she could see the irritation and the hate forming on his face. His fists were so tight that his knuckles were stark white and the sand around him began moving in a menacing way. "Maybe you two should remember that he _left_ you're sorry village to go chase after some pedophile! Every time you try and go get him he gets away because he _doesn't_ want to be with you!" he shouted. "He does things to _harm _your people. He tried to kill a Kage, who is also your friend, Naruto, and nearly killed my sister! So if you two are going to put your loyalty to some renegade traitor and turn your back on all your other friends then GET OUT OF MY VILLAGE!"

The sand rose all around them and swirled angrily, scratching against the Konoha ninja's skin. Then it died down instantly and they were left alone, Gaara had disappeared.

Naruto stared at Sakura in shock. "Does he do that often?"

She threw her arms up in irritation. "How the hell would I know you baka? He's more your friend than he is mine!"

The blonde looked confused. "But Sakura-chan, you've been with him ever since we arrived. I thought you two had bonded or something." Her irritation died down at the truth in his statement. They had become better friends since arriving two days ago. But that didn't really matter right now.

What he had said about Sasuke hurt her. She knew that he spoke the truth, but he didn't understand. She and Naruto had made a promise to always be there for Sasuke, even if he didn't want them. They knew what was best for him, even if he didn't. Somehow, she would have to explain it to Gaara, in a way that he would understand.

"Well we better go look for him. You know how he gets when he's upset." Naruto looked downcast, and then the two went their separate ways to search. Before she left to begin looking for the redhead, she looked down at her feet. Her face contorted into one of anger.

"Damn him! He left me with all the groceries!"

* * *

Gaara appeared in swirl of sand at the top of Suna, staring down at the city in which he had sworn to protect. The buildings and signs blurred together, he couldn't believe how angry he was. The only time he could recall this feeling was seven years ago when he had been injured for the first time by that disgusting Uchiha. He lifted his hand and clutched his left shoulder where the scar still remained. Something he would never allow to be seen.

He removed his hand and looked back out at the village. He didn't understand why Naruto wasn't on his side. Were they not best friends as well? Sakura was a different story, he knew that she loved the Uchiha, the fact that she jumped in to defend Sasuke from him all those years ago was proof enough. He let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. He still did not know why she was on his side.

"I need to focus…" he said softly to himself, letting his sand rise once more and take him off.

* * *

Sakura was going to wear a hole in the floor at the rate things were going. She'd been pacing ever since the groceries were put away. Which was a long time ago, since it was already dark out.

Having looked everywhere for Gaara and seeing no sign of him, she had come back to the house to wait for him. It was now nearing midnight, and her worry about the redhead had reached new levels. She hadn't eaten anything since this morning, having lost her appetite.

Just as she was about to turn around again in her pacing, the front door opened.

The only other inhabitant of the house walked in silently, not bothering to look up at the fuming pink haired worry wart. He shut the door slowly and slid the deadbolt into place, not that anyone would dare break into the Kazekage's house, but he thought it would make Sakura feel more secure.

He looked more tired than usual, and was covered in sweat. For some reason, his hands were wrapped in bandages, similar to the ones Neji and Lee wore, but they were torn. This was all she noticed before her anger came to the surface and took over.

She crossed her arms and raised an angry brow. "Do you know what time it is? Where have you been? No, don't answer that. I don't care! Do you know what I've been doing while you were gone?"

The redhead gave her a blank stare. Sakura raised her hand, signaling that she didn't want him to speak, which was fine with him. He wasn't really going to say anything anyways. "First, I had to bring home all the groceries, which you left me with by the way. Then, Naruto and I searched the whole city for you! I have been worried sick as to where you were, and if you were alright! What if you had been hurt and I wasn't there to heal you?"

She walked up to him and poked him in the chest. "I can't believe your insensitivity! You can't just run off and not come back home! Next time, at least come back at a reasonable hour!" She poked him once more for good measure, and then walked towards the stairs. Placing a foot on the first step, she turned to him once more. "Don't even speak to me. I am so angry right now I could spit. I'm going to bed." And with that, she stomped up the stairs, and slammed her door loudly.

Gaara simply stared after her, that wasn't exactly the reaction he had expected. He watched her disappear into the upstairs hallway. "Well. If I had known not saying anything would shut her up, I would have done so earlier." He told himself, heading towards the kitchen to get something to drink.

As he walked into the kitchen, he pulled his shirt over his head, wanting to cool off. Gaara tossed his shirt into a nearby chair and opened the fridge. The bandages on his arms went all the way up to his elbows, and were shredded to the point of coming completely off. He pulled out a water bottle and took off the cap, letting the cool liquid sooth his throat. "Ah," he let out a sound of relief and wiped away the drops of water that had spilled on his face.

That was when he stopped and really thought about Sakura's odd reaction. She was mad, yes, but she looked mad with worry. Why did that bother him so much? He scoffed and turned away from the counter. He would not linger on the look of her troubled face. He turned off the light to the kitchen, went into the living room, and then made his way to the stairs. He flipped off the light switch to that room as well and headed up the stairs. Gaara didn't even realize that he had stopped in front of Sakura's door. Why could he not get rid of this guilty feeling? He hadn't done anything wrong. He let out a small growl and knocked on the door harshly.

There was no sound at first, but then the door cracked open. All that could be seen of Sakura were her emerald green eyes that were puffy and red from crying. "What do you want? I told you I didn't want to talk to you." she mumbled.

Gaara had to hold in the retort that was about to burst from his mouth. He took a deep breath and tried to look as sympathetic as he could. "I'm…sorry…that I made you worry." he managed to ground out, the words obviously difficult to say.

There was a pregnant pause between the two, and Sakura just stared wide eyed at him. Finally she broke the silence, "Thank you. And, I'm sorry….for yelling at you and making you upset."

"Goodnight." The redhead said quickly before walking towards his own room and disappearing behind the doors. Sakura shut her door and walked slowly back to bed. At the rate things were going, she would have serious whiplash from all of Gaara's mood swings by the time they left.

* * *

"_Where am I?" Gaara asked aloud. He looked at his surroundings, seeing nothing but a pitch black abyss._

"_Hello?" he called out loudly, the sound of his own voice startling him. He moved forward into the darkness, noting that it felt like he had stepped on glass. It was followed by a loud cracking sound, and then just like glass, the ground that wasn't visible shattered. _

_Gaara began to fall downward. He reached up, willing his sand to wrap around him to transport him somewhere safe, but nothing happened. Now he was falling head first into the darkness. He looked at his hand, trying to see the sand particles on his skin, but all he saw was his own pale flesh._

_He truly felt helpless. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the empty void before him. He'd only felt like this once before, when he was murdered by those two in the black cloaks. "Am I dead once more?" he asked himself. _

_He continued to fall through the black abyss, wondering when he would stop._

His eyes shot open as he bolted up in his bed. Disoriented, he held his head in his hands. His breathing was labored, and he felt a cold sweat dripping down his spine. What had happened? He tried to shake the uneasiness from his body by lying back down and focusing on the ceiling. It was nothing but a dream, right?

He shook his head and closed his eyes once more. "Nothing but a dream." He assured himself.

* * *

_Sakura was walking down the streets of Suna, but something was different. People were looking at her with respect instead of completely ignoring her presence. Suddenly she realized that her hand was warm, and that she was holding something smooth. _

_She looked down, only to find that what she was holding was in fact a hand. A very pale, smooth hand. She smiled. That explained why she felt so content. This was the happiest she had felt in years, to be honest._

_Suddenly, the hand began to fade. Knowing what was happening, Sakura tried to look up, but all she could see was white. _


	6. Late Night

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Six_

-Operation Day Two: Late Night-

Sakura sat up, clutching the soft sheets to her chest. She gave a frustrated sigh. She _would_ wake up before seeing the rest of his body. She wanted to know who it was that had made her feel so whole, so wanted.

She decided to take Gaara's advice and use context clues. The man was about a head taller than her, but so were most male shinobi around her age or older. His skin was smooth, which was rare for someone of their profession, meaning that he rarely gets injured, and is a long range fighter. Also, his skin was pale, and they were in Suna, not Konoha.

Going through a mental list of all the male shinobi she knew that were at least a head taller than her, had pale skin, were currently in or were soon going to be in Suna, and didn't wear gloves, she was left with Gaara and Sasuke. And although Sasuke was not a primarily long distance fighter, he had jutsu that used a wide range, and he rarely ever got hurt. So that meant that she was with Sasuke in the dream! Her hope of convincing Gaara to let him live was strengthened, so she quickly got out of bed and took a shower.

When she came downstairs, there was a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. Her stomach growled, voicing its outrage at her skipping dinner the night before. So she decided to go check it out.

Gaara stood, once more shirtless, at the stove making what smelled like pancakes. He flipped one, a bored look on his face. "Did you sleep well?" he asked as she took a seat at the table.

The question caught her off guard, since he didn't seem like the kind of person to care about such trivial things as another's comfort. "Um what?" Sakura laughed in a nervous tone. "Wh-why do you ask?" Did he know she had awoken from such an odd dream?

He turned his head slightly to look at her, "Well your chakra spiked exceedingly high, as if you were shocked or frustrated. I knew it wasn't and intruder, so I assumed you were waking up from a dream in a bad mood." He shrugged and went back to flipping the pancakes and folding the eggs into an omelet filled with sausage, cheese, and spices. He decided to leave out the part where he had been startled awake as well. He didn't need her to know that.

The sand in the kitchen slid towards the cupboards and started to set the table, placing two plates beside the stove. Gaara loaded the food evenly on the plates and went to join Sakura. He set her plate in front of her and took his own seat. He started eating right away, but Sakura found herself staring at him. That was when she noticed something she hadn't before. There was an awful scar right below his left shoulder. How could she not have noticed it? It wasn't like this was the first time she had seen him without a shirt on.

She blinked and blushed deeply, well this was only her second time seeing him shirtless, and the first time she had looked away. Then it dawned on her that the scar on his shoulder was the one given to him by Sasuke at the chuunin exams. It would only offend him if she was caught staring at the scar, so she looked down and began to cut her pancakes. "I just had a…frustrating dream, that's all."

He didn't let on that he knew she was staring at the only mark on his body, though he was surprised she didn't say anything about it. He decided to try and play nice with this woman and make…casual conversation. "What was it about?"

Her blush deepened. She didn't really want to tell him about it, because it was really embarrassing, and he would just think she was some shallow fan girl. Which she was not, those days were long gone and done with. "Oh….um….well…" she was so flustered that she didn't even realize she was still cutting the same section of pancake.

He smirked at her lack of coherent speech. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Then there was a loud crack, and they both looked down at the cause. Sakura, in her nervousness, had cut straight through the plate and into the table. Gaara's smirk fell from his face in an instant. He looked up at her, not really knowing what he thought of the situation. He let out an annoyed sigh and glanced back down at the cut in his table.

But instead of anger, as Sakura was expecting, Gaara began to laugh. "Well now you have to tell me what it was about, since it's causing you to be so edgy."

She began to laugh nervously. "It's nothing really. Just some weird dream that couldn't possibly mean anything."

He gave her a pointed look. "Just tell me Sakura. It's the least you can do as payment for breaking one of my plates and cutting my table."

"True." She grumbled. "Well, in the dream, I was walking down one of the street here. And I felt really happy, as if nothing in the world could ruin my mood. My hand feels warm, so I look down and see-"

Suddenly Temari burst into the room. "Good morning!"

Gaara's gaze shot over towards his sister, a new glare set in place. "Do you mind Temari?"

"As a matter of fact I don't, brother dearest." The blonde smiled and plopped down in a seat next to Sakura. "So what's going on?" Temari snickered, "I'm actually surprised both of you are still alive."

Sakura crossed her arms in a huff. "Well of course we are still alive. Did you think we would kill each other or something?"

The blonde laughed. "Haha, duh." It was then that she noticed the broken plate and cut on the table. "Wow! Sakura what did you do?" she shook her head, and then looked at Gaara. "Nevermind. What did you do to make her so upset she broke her plate?"

"What?" Gaara nearly exploded. If anyone could get under his skin it was his older sister. "I didn't do anything, I simply asked her why she woke up alarmed. Then she became awkward and could not form a sentence."

Temari rolled her eyes and leaned back on the chair, kicking the front two legs up in the air. "Sure, sure. Usually if someone is upset it's your fault." She placed her hands behind her head and watched the two. "So what are we doing today?"

"I'm going to work," Gaara said shortly, disappearing in a whirl of sand. He reappeared shortly after, dressed in his normal attire. He began to walk towards the door, and as he passed Temari he pushed down on the back of the chair, causing her to fall backwards and hit the floor.

"HEY!" she yelled, trying to sit up and scold her younger brother, but he was already out of the kitchen. Sakura quickly got up and followed him. When she reached him he was just about to close the front door, so she put a hand up to stop it.

"Gaara, do you think I could work at the hospital while I'm staying here? I want to do something useful with my time." She said, giving him an innocent look.

He sighed and opened the door further so she could come out with him. Just as Temari was coming out of the kitchen, her face red with anger, Gaara closed the door. He really didn't want to listen to her screech at him so early in the morning. They headed out into the busy streets, many of the people waving at Gaara as he passed them. "I will talk to the head of the hospital when we arrive, you may do as you please. I will tell her you are the temporary head."

She blushed slightly at the compliment he was paying her by allowing her to take control of his village's hospital. "Thank you." When they made it to the hospital, Gaara spoke to the head. More like ordered her to give Sakura free reign over the hospital. As he was about to leave, he turned to Sakura and said, "I will be here to get you at five o'clock. Do not keep me waiting." He gave her a smirk, but the look in his eyes was dead serious.

The head nurse, Yoko, took a deep breath and glared down at the 'child' that was going to be running _her_ hospital. That was almost as bad as the fact that the Kazekage was treating this…foreigner with more respect than she had ever seen him give. "Well," Yoko cleared her throat. "I know what the Kazekage said, but this is my hospital. So make sure you try and keep up."

Sakura smiled at the older woman, knowing full well her real reasons for disliking her. She wasn't so blind as to miss the way women stared at Gaara, and glared at her when they were walking down the street. "Don't worry, I think I can manage."

Yoko continued to glare at the pink haired foreigner. "Well, we aren't that busy, so why don't you go file some paperwork? You can handle that, can't you?" she asked in slight mockery.

Sakura's eye began to twitch in annoyance. What was she, a genin? "You seem like a nice lady, Yoko, and I would hate for you to make yourself my enemy. Now listen, and listen good." Sakura stood taller, squaring her shoulders. "I am a trained medic, brought up as Tsunade-shishou's protégé. I am skilled in healing…not paperwork. If you want someone to file some simple charts, go out and buy yourself a monkey. Do you understand? Or should I go and get Gaara to explain it to you in a more straightforward manner?"

The older woman stuttered for a few moments, and before she could say anything, a group of injured jounin came in. She looked at the ninjas, then back at Sakura. With a smirk she said, "If you're so capable, why don't you take charge of the group that just arrived?"

Sakura nodded, and pointed to one of the nurses. "You, take them all to an examination room. I will need to see their charts for any allergies before I heal them."

The girl nodded. "Right away ma'am."

It didn't take very long to heal all the injured, and she still had over half of her chakra left when it was done. One of the many advantages to having perfect chakra control. She wiped her hands off on a towel and said, "Everything is fine now. They will just need a few days' rest."

The same nurse from earlier ran up to her, and awed look in her eyes. "Sakura-sama! You are so amazing!" More nurses followed in asking questions. It seemed she would have to ask Gaara if she could teach classes on different healing methods while she was here. He wouldn't refuse, of course, but she would respect his authority this once.

By the door two nurses whispered to each other. "Wow, I guess she really is the Godaime Hokage's apprentice."

"Yeah. The way I heard it, she's already surpassed her mentor." The other replied.

The first one nodded excitedly. "I'm not surprised. Did you see how quickly and effortlessly she healed those ninjas? She's amazing."

A pair of steely brown eyes glared at the scene in front of them. Yoko was not pleased with the way things had turned out for the pink haired medic. Who gave credit to someone with such a freaky hair color anyways? Not only had she healed those jounin quickly, but it was done in an easier way than she herself knew how. And from what she could tell, the girl still had plenty of chakra left, whereas she would be exhausted after such a long healing. On top of that, she seemed to be in the Kazekage's favor. It was then that Yoko decided that one Haruno Sakura was her rival in the hospital, and in love.

* * *

Gaara sat leisurely at his desk, flipping through some papers and assignments. The missions for Suna lately had been pouring in, and the village was flourishing greatly. He picked up a pen and signed off on some of the completed missions from the genins. There was a loud knock on the door, and when Gaara didn't answer, it turned into pounding. He sighed, and without looking up said, "Come in Naruto."

The door flew open and the blonde ninja rushed in, with Kakashi trailing lazily after him. "Where is she Gaara?" Naruto demanded, slamming his hands on the desk, causing a pile of papers to fall to the ground and scatter. Gaara suppressed a growl. He had just finished organizing those. Looking up from the fallen papers, the redhead decided to see what inanities the fox boy was talking about this time.

"What in the world are you talking about Naruto?"

"Don't play dumb!" Naruto cried out, tears forming in his eyes. "You took Sakura-chan and you're going to kill her just like you're going to kill Sasuke!"

Kakashi cleared his throat, stepping behind Naruto and placing his hand on his student's shoulder. "Naruto you must calm down. You are over reacting. Kazekage-sama, will you please talk to him? The words of his wise sensei are not enough apparently." The copycat ninja sighed and pulled up his book, quickly losing interest in the conversation.

Naruto looked back at Gaara, obviously upset, but willing to listen. "Naruto, Sakura is at the hospital, helping out around there. What made you think I had done something to her?"

The blonde's face fell, at a loss for words, which was something that did not happen often. "Well…" he began, standing up straight and looking off, lost in thought. "I guess I really didn't think of that." He admitted and then laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry about that Gaara, I guess I'm just riled up…" he stopped, his solemn look returning.

"Are you really going to kill Sasuke?" the blonde asked softly, his despair evident to the redhead. He closed his eyes slowly and let out a deep sigh,

"Naruto I'm sorry. But he tried to kill my sister…and me."

Naruto nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets, "I know Gaara. I know that he deserves it too, I just wish…I wish you would change your mind."

The redhead leaned back in his chair and eyed Naruto. He really didn't want the water works to come now. Not that the tears would change his mind, he just didn't want to see his friend hurt. Gaara laced his fingers together and tried to force a smile, "Naruto, how about we go out for some ramen tonight? Hm?"

That did the trick, the blonde instantly perked up and nodded. "Sure thing Gaara!"

He waved and headed out the door with Kakashi following slowly, book in hand. "Good evening Kazekage-sama." The silver haired man gave Gaara a quick nod.

The door shut and Gaara let out a relieved breath. Finally he would be able to get some work done. His sand moved quickly and gathered the scattered papers and placed them back in place. He took the first scroll and unrolled it, reading over the contents.

It wasn't long until the door burst open again, and Kankuro walked in with a girl on each arm. They were all laughing, but the two girls looked uncomfortable in the arms of the puppet master. When they saw Gaara all the annoyance and discomfort disappeared from their faces. "Oh Kazekage-sama!" one squealed, detaching herself from Kankuro.

"Get out." The redhead ordered without even sparing the girl a glance. Hurt washed over her face, and she looked back at Kankuro.

"You said if we came with you we would get to talk with Kazekage-sama." The anger in her eyes was like fire, and it was all focused on Kankuro. The other girl pulled away from him, a similar expression on her face.

Gaara cleared his throat loudly, "Get OUT!" he ordered once more, only louder. Now looking up at them, his famous glare set in place. "Are you three _just_ trying to piss me off? I have a lot of work to do."

The two girls scrambled for the door and slammed it shut behind them, closing Kankuro inside with his younger brother. Kankuro yawned, walking over to the spare couch in the office and plopping down. "Well that didn't turn out as I thought it would." The brunette sighed, stretching his limbs slowly.

"What do you want Kankuro?" Gaara asked simply, focusing back on his work. His brother only came to him for three reasons. If he wanted something, wanted to talk about someone, or prank Temari, which never ended well for the poor guy.

"Nothing really. I was just…curious." The brunette began slowly.

This made Gaara stop what he was doing. He looked up at his brother, a sign that he should continue. Kankuro's grin turned slowly into a smirk. "Well Gaara, I was just wondering how it was, having Sakura stay with you."

The Kazekage eyed him suspiciously, the mention of Sakura's name and the tone that his brother was using setting him on edge. "It's fine. Why?"

"Well you know…" Kankuro began to laugh, giving his younger brother a mischievous look.

Gaara just stared at him blankly, "No. I don't know."

Kankuro seemed to remember that his brother was socially inept in every kind of way possible. "Come on Gaara," he leaned forward, another sly smile creeping up his face. "That pretty little Konoha leaf, you can't tell me that you two are all alone in a house together and nothing has happened." He gave Gaara a wink, waiting for a nice juicy story.

Gaara was appalled, though he hid it well. Why would Kankuro think that Sakura and he had done something of that sort? They were simply friends, but what Kankuro was saying had pricked his ire. As irritating as that little pink haired woman could be, she was his friend. "Do _not_ speak of Sakura that way."

The brunette blinked and looked taken back by his brother's defense. "Sorry Gaara, it's just…well everyone thinks it. I'm not the only one." He pointed out, trying to shift the oncoming anger.

"What?" Gaara stood abruptly, glaring his brother down. "Why would anyone think that? We are simply friends, nothing more! Am I not allowed to show kindness to the woman who saved our sister? And you and I years ago?"

Kankuro tried to hide behind the arm of the sofa. As it turned out, this was a bad idea after all. Gaara walked over to his brother and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him from his cowering pose. "If you hear any more of these accusations, be sure and silence them. I will not have anyone thinking things that are untrue about Sakura." He released his brother, who nodded and stepped backwards towards the door as quickly as he could.

"Jeez Gaara, no need to get so testy," Kankuro murmured out and then took off before the Kazekage could do anything to him.

The angry redhead glared after him and slammed the door. He returned back to his desk, daring anyone else to interrupt him. He signed off on a few missions and reviewed the reports. The rest of the afternoon was quiet, and he was able to get everything done, sorting it into the respectable areas of his desk.

There was a timid knock on the door, and a small woman came in, bowing in respect. "Kazekage-sama, it's five o'clock."

"Thank you, Yumi." He let out a soft sigh. "Make sure that you have these delivered to the appropriate offices." Gaara stood and once more. The sand around him picked up and swept him away, out the window.

* * *

Yoko had had just about enough from this pink parade. She was exhausted from the day's work, while Sakura was ripe with energy, despite the fact that she had been healing all day. It was worse when all the nurses begged her to teach them her ways. Yoko looked up at the clock and grimaced, it was nearly five. The Kazekage would be here any moment, and she couldn't let that leaf kunoichi show her up in front of him. She glanced over at Sakura who was laughing and talking with some of the younger girls.

"Sakura! Shouldn't you be attending to room three?" she crossed her arms and arched her brow, as if trying to make this other woman submit to her authority.

Sakura merely tilted her head in Yoko's direction, not even acknowledging her fully. "Hitomi-san is taking care of it. I am officially off the clock, and I figured you would want your nurses to get in some healing time before they too had to leave. They will need all the practice they can get if I'm going to start a class and teach them."

The ex-head nurse's eye began to twitch. How was the little twit able to come up with these things so easily? Every time she thought she had put Sakura in her place, it was always her who was lowered a bar, and in front of all the other staff as well. Noticing the nurses that Sakura was talking to begin to giggle, she glared at them. "Don't you have patients to take care of? Do not forget that once Sakura leaves, _I_ am in charge." She threatened, causing the others to scatter quickly. Once they were gone she marched up to the 'little princess' and pointed a finger in her face.

"Look here missy, I run this hospital, and that means that you need to do as you're told. I doubt that the great Tsunade-sama lets you walk all over her. You may be off the clock, but until the Kazekage walks through that door, you need to be working. It won't kill you to work a few extra minutes, will it?" By now she thought she had finally won, until the pink haired medic faced her fully.

Sakura really hated having to always put Yoko back in her place. She thought that they could be great friends, but the older woman simply refused to give it a chance. Glancing behind the other medic, she smirked in triumph. It was time to remind her that she could call the Kazekage by his name, not his title.

"If I recall correctly, _Gaara_ put _me_ in charge when we arrived together this morning. You, Yoko, look like you're about to die from exhaustion, and where it won't kill me to work a few extra minutes, _I_ do not like to keep people waiting." She then brushed past the other medic and walked up to the Kazekage. "Let's go Gaara. I still have to start dinner." She smiled sweetly, placing her hand on his arm.

Gaara looked down at Sakura as she took her place at his side. He glanced back up at Yoko, pulling Sakura closer to him. He was very unhappy with the day's interruptions, and he did not like the hateful look in his head nurse's eyes. "Yoko," Gaara began, still holding Sakura close. The medic seemed excited that the Kazekage was speaking her name, for she instantly brightened. "I told you that Sakura would be in charge. If I see, no, hear of any more of these complications, I will personally see to it that you are demoted to the hospital's janitorial staff."

Yoko stared at the two, horrified. She couldn't believe that _her_ Kazekage was siding with a Konoha shinobi. The fact that they were on a first name basis _and_ how that foreigner was standing closer to Gaara then she had _ever_ seen anyone stand to him, only made her angrier. "Of course Kazekage-sama." She forced out with a bow.

They both left the hospital and started down the darkening streets of Suna. "Do you want me to do more Sakura? I will not have anyone treating you as such when I place you in charge."

Sakura shrugged, realizing she was still almost pressed against Gaara's side, and that he didn't seem to mind. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks and casually moved aside, keeping in step with him. "It's not really a big deal. Yoko just has a huge crush on you and is jealous that we're such good friends. None of the other staff has a problem with me being there. In fact, they are all so nice it makes me forget that I'm not in the Konoha hospital."

The redhead arched a brow at her. "Not that I would even consider it, but Yoko is too old for me anyways. She's also annoying in a very stalker-ish kind of way, and I hate annoying people."

Sakura looked down at her feet, unsure of what she was about to say. "Sasuke always said that I was annoying. Although, looking back on it, I guess I can see why."

Gaara shrugged in nonchalance. "Yeah, you were pretty annoying back then."

She huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, people change." Deciding to change the subject, she asked "What would you like for dinner? You look like you had a long day."

"Longer than you can imagine. Though it seems you had quite an interesting day yourself." He said.

She nodded and stretched out her arms, feeling her limbs loosen. "It wasn't too bad. I can handle myself, though I don't think Yoko will be too much trouble anymore." Sakura smiled brightly, looking up at her now temporary home. "You can just relax while I make dinner," she told him as they walked in the front door.

Gaara watched her leave and head off to the kitchen. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes tightly. There was something he was forgetting, but what was it? He sighed, nothing coming to his mind. Finally, he relaxed and took one of the cushioned seats in the living room. It was probably nothing.

* * *

She decided to make chicken tender salad for dinner, since she doubted Gaara ate his proper servings of fruits and vegetables. She sliced up some lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and a few boiled eggs. Then she fried the chicken, and cut it into small bites, placing it into the salad. Last but not least was the shredded cheese, which she did by hand.

When she told him it was ready, he stared at it for a while, and wordlessly began to eat it. She took his silence as a good sign. That meant that he didn't hate the way it tasted. So she began to eat her own. Remembering her idea from earlier, she cleared her throat, hoping that that was enough to get Gaara's attention. He paused in his eating, and looked at her expectantly.

"Um….well….I was wondering….you see today at the hospital some of the nurses asked me to teach them a bit of my medical knowledge. So I got the idea that I could teach a class at the hospital a few days a week, and then on the other days I work as a doctor. I think it would greatly improve the quality of your hospital. I could even teach them about common poisons and their antidotes." It all came out in a bit of a rush, but by now she had regained her confidence. Only a fool would refuse the offered help, and Gaara was no fool.

The redhead tried to stifle his soft laughter. "Wow Sakura this is definitely something I didn't think you would do. Asking before doing?" he simply smirked at her and ate some more of the salad he was greatly enjoying. "But I think it's a good idea, do as you please."

"I just thought I would consider your feelings and show you a little respect, okay? If you don't appreciate the gesture, then I won't ask for your permission next time." She said, stabbing at some of her lettuce lightly.

Gaara stopped eating once more, "Sakura, you can't say that you don't just do as you please and ignore the consequences that you somehow weasel yourself out of every time."

She pouted at his question, and continued to eat. "I already have a lesson planned out for the first day. I will need to assess their skill levels, but other than that we can proceed onto-"

Suddenly the front door burst open and in ran Naruto. "You jerk! How dare you fill my day with dreams of ramen for dinner and then forget! Were you just lying to me to get me to leave your office? I thought we were BFFs!"

Gaara stared wide eyed at the intruder in his home and then at the sand surrounding Sakura, like a barrier. Gaara looked at how it had solidified protectively around her, which was odd. His normal reaction with his sand would have been to guard himself.

Peering around the sand, Sakura said "Um Gaara, it's just Naruto."

He glanced back at Sakura and the sand lowered immediately. "Sorry…I don't know what I was thinking." He said simply, placing another forkful of salad in his mouth so he could have an excuse to be silent. What had that been? Was this truly what it was like to want to protect your friends? It must be, since Naruto would gladly sacrifice himself for Sakura. He nodded to himself. That was definitely it. He was almost glad that he was getting so used to having friends he cared for.

"Forgive me Naruto." Gaara finally spoke. "I forgot about taking you to get some ramen. It was my mistake, please allow me to take you tomorrow evening. You can meet Sakura and me at the hospital at five o'clock."

The blonde scrunched his face in annoyance. "But what am I supposed to eat now? Kakashi-sensei went to some bar, and I'm too young to go with him!"

Sakura raised a brow at him. "Naruto, you can go into the bar, you just can't drink anything."

He waved his hands in front of his face. "No no no Sakura-chan! It was a _different_ kind of bar!"

The truth of his words dawning on her, and she made a face of disgust. "Trust that pervert to find one of those while we're on a mission!" Getting up, she went and put together the leftovers. "You can just join me and Gaara and have a salad."

The fox boy looked like he was about to throw up. "I'm not gonna eat that green stuff! It's not healthy!"

She punched him in the face, causing him to fly across the kitchen. "It's green because it's healthy you moron! Now sit down and eat everything in your bowl, or so help me you won't be able to walk for a week!"

This silenced the blonde ninja, and he quickly sat in the very same chair Temari had occupied that morning.

Gaara had to keep himself from killing both the Konoha ninjas in his kitchen. Had he not _just_ had this conversation with Sakura? He didn't want Naruto staying here and destroying the place, which he knew was going to happen in some shape or form.

"Sakura can I speak with you for a moment." Gaara seethed out through gritted teeth, standing and making it obvious that it was not a question. He left the kitchen in a hurry and awaited her in the living room.

She followed and gave him an innocent look. "What is it Gaara?"

It was pretty clear that he was angry. "What did we just talk about? What makes you think I want Naruto staying here? You know how he is, he's not going to leave till the early morning!" he informed her, crossing his arms angrily. "Could you not have just given it to him in a to get the heck out of here box?"

She too crossed her arms, sticking her hip out in the process, a clear sign that she was annoyed. "Since it was _you_ who forgot the dinner plans that _you_ made with Naruto tonight, leaving him with nothing, _you_ can suck it up and be a good friend, and a gracious host. I don't want to hear anything more on the subject." And with that she turned around to walk back into the kitchen. She was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist tightly.

"Oh no you don't Sakura. This is my house and it isn't as if I purposely forgot, I _was_ trying to get him out of my office. He was causing a scene, and I had to get to work. He accused me of killing you!" he glared down at her, not understanding how she couldn't see why he had done what he did.

Her features softened, and she gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry Gaara. But it's too late now. It would just be rude to kick him out after he was already offered dinner. Maybe if you had actually told me a bit more about your day or about Naruto I would've understood and just sent him on his way." Then she carefully pulled her wrist from his grasp. "We should hurry, or the dessert will get cold."

Gaara let Sakura's hand slip through his fingers, he didn't know how to tell people about his day. Most of the time it was just him and his sister, and she didn't care, "I'll be fine, I don't want any." He told her. Before he could hear any of her protests he disappeared in a swirl of sand.

She stomped back into the dining room, angry that he always disappeared when things weren't going his way. It was so childish. Sensing her upset, Naruto shoveled the rest of his salad in his mouth and left, no questions asked. He was such a good friend sometimes.

Sakura walked into the kitchen and looked at the brownies she had made. It had taken her forever to make them, because she had also made some frosting to go on them, and she was very meticulous when it came to frosting things. She covered up the brownies, and decided to go let off some steam in the best way she knew how. She locked the house, and headed over to the Suna training fields. Picking one with sand, so she didn't completely destroy the ground, she began to rid herself of her frustrations.

* * *

It was well past midnight when Gaara came home. He was expecting the brooding medic to scold him once he walked in the door, but nothing of the sort happened. When he came into the living room it was dark and silent. "Sakura?" he looked around, sand ready just in case she was hiding to get even with him for ditching her earlier.

He glanced around, finally deciding she must be asleep. He went up the stairs quickly, stopping at her door, and with a decisive thought, went in to check on her. When he entered the room there was no sound, and his sense of alarm began to rise. When he saw the empty bed the bells started going off. Where was she? He ran back out in to the hall and looked around in the dark. "Sakura?"

At the silence he received, he called out once more. "Sakura where are you!"

Gaara stomped down the stairs and threw the front door open, only to be face to face with the missing woman. She looked as if she had been in a fight. She had scratches on her arms, and dried blood on her cheek. "Gaara?" she blinked, staring at him in unease.

"Uh…" he blinked.

Sakura laughed, smiling at him, "Well that was a brilliant reply." There was a long silence and finally she noticed the odd emotion plastered all over her face. "Gaara, what's wrong?" she asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside.

"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to control his facial expression.

She shut the door and brought him into the kitchen, which had a better light. Giving him a searching look, she said "You look…almost worried about something. Did something happen while you were away?"

"No…" was all he could manage out. Why was he acting so oddly? He needed to get a grip on himself and fast, before he said something stupid. "You just weren't here."

She raised a delicate brow at him, some of her anger coming back. "What did you expect me to do after you left? Wait around for you to return and not care that I was worried? I was so angry that you just disappeared, after I had worked so hard to make dessert. Which you didn't even ask what I had made by the way, or want any, so I went to let off some steam. After Naruto left of course, because he actually cares about my feelings, and knew that I was upset." Deciding that she needed some chocolate, she took out the pan of brownies she had made, and grabbed a fork.

Gaara grabbed Sakura by the wrist once more and pulled her to him in one fluid movement. She was pressed against him, his other hand on her lower back. The only thing they could see of one another was their eyes. "I do care. I'm sorry, I was…afraid when I couldn't find you, alright?"

She stared at him in shock, unsure of what to say. Their faces were so close. This fact alone was enough to make her turn red, along with the knowledge that no one had ever shown this much concern for her whereabouts before. "It's ok. I'm sorry too. I should have left you a note in case you returned before I did. I just hate it when you leave without explanation." She looked down at the pan of brownies, then back up at him. "Do you want any? The frosting is fudge flavored."

"Please do so next time." He nodded, following her gaze at the treats she had made especially for him. This was one of those moments he was glad for her need to change the subject when things got uncomfortable. "Yes. I would like some." He released her from his hold, but didn't move from his spot.

She backed away slowly, and got another fork, grinning as she handed it to him. "There's no point in getting any more plates dirty. Might as well eat from the pan!" Then she began to dig in.

He watched her for a while, fighting the small smile that was forming on his face. He placed the fork in the chocolate and then tried the dessert. "It's good," he admitted after he had swallowed.

She beamed up at him, a small smudge of frosting at the corner of her mouth. "It's my mother's recipe."

They sat on the counter, eating at the brownie slowly, it was late already so why rush to the next day? Once the pan was empty aside from the crumbs, Gaara got down and offered his hand to Sakura. She hopped down and took the pan, washing it and leaving it out to dry. "Well I guess we should probably get to bed."

"Yeah, it's very late." He agreed and went with her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. When they stopped at her door there was an odd, awkward silence. "Goodnight." He finally said before heading down the hall to his own room.

"Goodnight." She murmured, closing her door.


	7. New Arrivals

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Seven_

- Operation Day Three: New Arrivals-

Gaara pushed the glass door to the hospital open and walked in promptly. He looked around the lobby, seeing Sakura was not there. He went to the front desk where a young blond receptionist sat working diligently. "Excuse me miss, where is Sakura?" he asked, almost kindly.

The woman glanced up and went wide eyed. Standing sharply, she bowed her respects to the Kazekage. "Kazekage-sama, um, I am not sure, but I will go get her for you." She bowed once more before disappearing down the hall in a mad dash. Gaara decided to look around as he waited. Somehow the hospital looked much more vibrant than it had before Sakura's arrival. The girl came back quickly, leaning forward and panting. "K-Kazekage-sama," she took in a deep breath then. "Sakura-sama is on her way."

"Thank you," he nodded to her and then watched the hallway.

"Um…Kazekage-sama if you don't mind me asking." The receptionist gulped, looking away from him nervously. Gaara faced her once more, wondering what she wanted. He did not like to wait, after all. "I was wondering…is Sakura-sama your-"

"Gaara!" Sakura called from down the hall. She was stripping off a white lab coat and handing it to a nurse that was running with her. Sakura stopped in front of Gaara and smiled brightly, "Sorry about that Gaara, I was just finishing up a healing session." Sakura noticed the receptionist beside the redhead and gave her a beautiful smile as well. "I'm sorry Kyoko, am I interrupting something?"

Kyoko shook her head vigilantly, "Oh no Sakura-sama. It was nothing, have a nice evening with Kazekage-sama." She bowed to them both and went back to her post. Sakura looked up at Gaara questioningly, but he merely shrugged and led her out.

"Now I promised Naruto dinner tonight, so we're going to go meet him. Is that alright, or would you like to go home first?" he asked her.

"No that's fine," Sakura sighed, thinking about an unquiet and crazy dinner with Naruto. "So how was your day?"

He tried to suppress a groan, making Sakura giggle in the process. "That bad huh?" she asked.

Gaara nodded, "It was going well until my brother decided to pop in, along with my sister, and they had some secret that they thought I would care about. They were trying to get me interested in what they knew. All they said was that I would find out later…whatever that means."

"It doesn't mean anything good that's for sure. Temari is always up to something." The pink haired kunoichi nodded.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Gaara admitted, and then led Sakura over towards a nice looking restaurant. "This is the one," he told her, getting the door and holding it open for her. Sakura smiled at him. At least he was in a really good mood today.

He followed her in and looked to the host. He was a nice looking man, dark brown hair and brown eyes. When the man looked up he gasped, "Welcome Kazekage-sama. It's good to see you are well." He said sincerely, and then looked down at his Kazekage's attractive companion. "You must be the lovely Sakura. A friend of mine told me there was a very beautiful medic from Konoha taking charge. It's an honor to meet you." He came from behind his podium and took Sakura's hand, kissing it gently.

Sakura blushed lightly and tried to laugh it off, "Well thank you, but it's nothing, really. There's no need."

Gaara gave a threatening growl, placing his hand possessively on Sakura's shoulder. "Really no need." He informed the man, who immediately backed away. "We're here to see a really annoying blonde haired ninja."

"Oh yes." The man nodded, not looking at Sakura again, for fear of his Kazekage's wrath. "Your party has already arrived."

"Party?" Gaara asked in disbelief.

Both Gaara and Sakura looked over towards the dining area and went wide eyed. Their emotions quite the opposite, horror and delight.

"Sakura!" a high pitched voice called. A tall and slender blonde stood from the table Naruto was sitting at and ran to meet Sakura, hugging her tightly. "We've been waiting for you!" Ino smiled back. She then regarded the man beside her, "Hello Kazekage-sama." She gave a small bow, nervousness all over her face.

Gaara retracted his hand from Sakura quickly and moved past her to the table. Naruto sat at a collection of tables with Temari, Kankuro, and two other Konoha ninja. Naruto occupied one end of the table, the one named Hinata sitting on his right, and Kiba on his left. The redhead sat on the opposite end of the table with Temari on his right. He made eye contact with his blonde friend, his glare screaming at Naruto.

Ino and Sakura came to the table laughing with one another. Ino took a seat by Hinata and Sakura sat down beside her and to Gaara's left. Hinata glimpsed down the table at Gaara and immediately looked away. She focused her white eyes on Ino and gave her a small nudge. Then she leaned over and whispered into the girl's ear. Ino stole a glance at Gaara as well and then tugged on Sakura's arm. "Sakura," she spoke softly. "Is Gaara ok?"

Sakura gave Ino an odd look and then faced Gaara. He looked royally pissed. He took the folded napkin in front of him and tore the silverware from it. His grip on the cloth was so tight that his knuckles were snow white.

Diffusing the bomb before it exploded, Sakura reached over and placed her hand on his. He looked at her sharply, and she gently squeezed his hand while giving him a reassuring smile. Leaning towards him, she said "It'll be okay. Just take a deep breath and count backwards from ten."

He looked at her like she had just sprouted antlers from her head. But, she was the doctor, so he quietly took a breath, and began the countdown. When it was all over he had to admit that he wasn't as angry as before. Besides, he could always punish Temari and Kankuro later for not following the proper protocol. With that in mind, he smirked evilly.

Before Sakura had the chance to ask him what was going on in that devious mind of his, the waitress arrived to take their orders. "My name is Kiki and I will be your server this evening." She went to Gaara first, not only because he was the Kazekage, but because she wanted to gain his attention. Sakura had seen that look many times before when she was out walking with Gaara, and it was really beginning to piss her off. Could people just see that he was with company and leave him alone, or was it impossible for him to not get hit on? Then the twit of a girl had the audacity to blatantly ignore Sakura while taking everyone else's orders, even though the proper protocol would have been to ask her next and then go in a circle. Not ask the guys first and then the girls. Turning to her with a haughty look, the waitress asked, "What do you want?"

By now her eye was twitching. "I'll have a Cherry Lemonade please." She ground out. Completely missing the exchange, Naruto spoke up.

"So you were surprised right Gaara? It seems Tsunade-baa-chan sent Ino, Hinata, and Kiba here to negotiate Sasuke's release. Isn't that great?"

Before Gaara could throttle Naruto with his sand, Sakura interjected. "Naruto, let's discuss all the political stuff tomorrow ok? For now, why don't we just enjoy the evening?" Looking around, she noticed that one member of their group was missing. "Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

The loudmouth blonde gave her an incredulous look. "Where else do you think he would be?"

Remembering where he had been the night before, Sakura blushed. "Oh yeah. Sorry I asked."

Kiba scoffed, deciding to go back to the Sasuke matter, "Who said we were all here to negotiate for Sasuke? I just came to watch. I'm on Gaara's side for this one."

Gaara glanced up at the brunette with a spark of interest. "Really now? Nice to see someone is." he muttered, glancing at both Naruto and Sakura.

Kiki's arrival with their drinks saved Sakura from having to jump into that conversation, although she was sure it would be addressed later. And, unsurprisingly enough, Sakura was the last one to receive her drink, and was asked last what she wanted to eat for dinner. Her fist clenched underneath the table. She was so close to hitting this girl it wasn't even funny. She looked over at Gaara, who was attempting to cover up a smirk.

"What?" she asked, obviously not seeing what was so funny.

He gave her a knowing look. "Who was it that said to take a deep breath and count backwards from ten?"

She crossed her arms. "I don't care. If that little twit keeps this up, I'm gonna exchange more than a few words with her." she pouted, before returning her attention to her friends.

Dinner was a pleasant affair. Ino caught everyone up on the gossip of Konoha, Naruto and Kiba had a contest to see who could eat the most food, Hinata stared at Naruto and occasionally spoke with her or Temari, and Kankuro flirted with the girls at the table next to theirs. Gaara mostly sat there in silence, observing the interactions between his siblings and his friends. Sakura would occasionally engage him in conversation so that he wouldn't feel left out, but he didn't care either way. He hated people, and right now he was being forced to socially participate, another thing he hated.

Just as he thought things couldn't get any worse, Kiki came back up to the table. She had been coming by about every ten minutes to ask him, and only him, if he needed anything. Each time she came by Sakura would get a murderous glint in her eyes, for reasons unknown to him, and then she would glance at him, only to look away quickly when they made eye contact.

When they got up to leave, Kiki came by again. Grabbing Gaara's arm daringly she asked, "Can I show you to the door Kazekage-sama?" She purred, batting her eyes at him. Gaara simply stared threateningly at the offending hand.

Scowling, Sakura placed her hand on Kiki's, which was on Gaara's arm, and said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Actually, we can find our own way out thank you, since it's the same way that we came in, and the last time I checked, Gaara wasn't a moron." Then she squeezed the girl's hand hard enough for the bones to crack, effectively causing her to release the redhead's arm. Linking her arm with his, Sakura began to lead them off. Glancing behind her she smirked. "And by the way, I'll be exchanging a few words with your manager about your customer service. I found it to be terribly lacking." She huffed,

The rest of the group watched as Sakura led a willing Gaara out of the restaurant, mouths agape. They had never seen Sakura behave so menacingly to another, nor Gaara so willing to have someone touch him. Especially a woman. It was then Ino vowed to interrogate Sakura later so that she could find out what was going on between the two.

The duo walked ahead of the others, arms still intertwined. Gaara glanced down at Sakura, unable to wipe the smile off his face. "What?" she asked, noting his confident demeanor.

"Nothing Sakura, it's nothing. You simply make me laugh is all." He told her.

Said kunoichi growled and leaned closer to the Kazekage, who it seemed allowed only her to touch him. "How come I make you laugh huh? Tell me." She tried to give him the 'puppy dog pout', but then realized whom she was trying to convince.

Gaara actually let out a small chuckle and pulled her a bit closer to him, "Your actions to other women, it really amuses me how defensive you get. Like a little puffer fish, innocent at first and then big and mean."

The group behind them was completely stunned, all except Temari, who was indifferent. Finally Kiba blurted out, "What the _hell_ is going on?" getting the attention of the two in front. Gaara turned his head to see them, and at last comprehended just how close to Sakura he really was.

He pulled his arm from Sakura's grip and his stoic face returned instantly. "What?"

Hinata and Ino just stood in shock that Kiba was so bold as to challenge the Kazekage. Sakura stepped away from the sand master, looking as if she had just been snapped out of a trance. "Don't 'What?' me. What the heck is going on? Am I the only person who just saw Gaara laugh? Am I?" Kiba looked back at his friends, who simply moved away from him.

When he turned back around he was face to face with Gaara. "I meant what I said dog boy. What? Sakura is my friend, is that not what friends do?" he asked.

"No!" Kiba yelled, not backing down from Gaara's death glare, which actually impressed the redhead.

Before Gaara could speak another word Sakura was between the two, shoving Kiba back and holding her hand to Gaara's chest. "You two need to back off! Kiba quit being a jerk! Gaara is the Kazekage of this village and you will show him some respect!" she ordered.

Kiba steadied himself and stared in disbelief at the pink haired woman that was defending Gaara. This was just too odd, and it certainly was not the reaction he was expecting from his friend. Gaara was planning to execute Sasuke, the man Sakura was in love with, but what he had seen was too surreal. This was when Ino decided to end the dispute between the three, "Hey! I've got a great idea! How about you boys go and train and get more acquainted? That way Sakura, Hinata, and I can have some girl time!"

Naruto was the first to speak, well shout, "That sounds like a GREAT idea!"

Gaara and Kiba didn't look so thrilled, and Gaara especially didn't like the idea of being away from Sakura after last night's incident. Hinata spoke up for the first time that evening, "That actually sounds nice." She gave both Sakura and Ino a smile.

He looked down at Sakura. The word no was clearly written all over his face, but she looked excited to have a girls night. Before she could make eye contact with him, he glanced back at Kiba and Naruto, giving them a sharp nod. "Fine."

Sakura eyed Gaara with worry, his response odd given the previous encounters. "Gaara are you sure?" Before he could utter another word Ino was already cheering.

"Fantastic! We'll see you boys later!" she waved and grabbed Hinata by the wrist, as Temari did the same to Sakura, dragging them off and leaving a trail of dust. The spot on his chest where her hand had just been felt cold all of a sudden.

"Well, now that there are no ladies I'm off to meet Kakashi." Kankuro stretched and smiled deviously.

"Why are you going to go meet Kakashi?" Gaara asked suspiciously.

Kankuro just smiled, "Well you know where he goes. We're meeting up tonight to chase some tail."

Gaara, Kiba, and Naruto looked somewhat disgusted and in unison muttered, "Ew."

"Pft, whatever. It's not like I can try anything with Sakura or Gaara would murder me." The puppet master said.

"You're right. I would murder you." Gaara said darkly, glaring at his brother.

Naruto puffed out his chest, "I would kill you too if you ever tried anything on Sakura-chan!"

Kankuro laughed and looked at the younger blonde, "Yeah, but I'm not afraid of you."

"Kankuro," Gaara growled lowly. "Leave. Now. Before you make me really angry."

With that Kankuro made a hasty exit and dashed away. Gaara was seething by now. He really, _really_ did not want to be out with Naruto and his friend. Then he remembered that this brunette had said he was here to watch the execution. His irritation died away a bit and he relaxed somewhat.

"Aw yeah! I'm excited guys! Training, shirts off, sweat! It's like a dream!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air with an energized cheer. Gaara and Kiba gave him an odd look and backed away from him.

"Naruto I don't know about a dream…" Gaara began, now very uncomfortable once again.

"God Naruto what are you? Gay?" Kiba yelled. "I don't wanna see your sweaty body!"

Naruto paled, shaking his head and waving his hands in front of his face. Everyone around them was now staring in astonishment. "I just meant that we could have some guy time with no girls, where we just train and sweat manly sweat!" Naruto tried to justify himself.

"Naruto!" Gaara shouted, feeling all the curious and anxious gazes of his subjects. "Stop talking!" he moved forward and placed his hands over his friend's mouth to keep any other odd words from spilling out.

"Are you stupid Naruto? You sound like a flaming homosexual!" Kiba growled, baring his canines. Everyone in the area was now focused on the spat between the men.

"Enough is enough." Gaara snarled, the sand around them going wild. It swarmed, wrapping around the three nin, causing them to vanish from the middle of the street.

* * *

Gaara appeared on the ground as Naruto and Kiba fell from high in the air, hitting the hard desert floor with a smack. "Ow!" Kiba yelled, rubbing his chin that was now bruised.

The sand master glimpsed down at the two and smirked, "Sorry about that. I must have lost my grip."

"Yeah right." Kiba grumbled angrily, getting to his feet. Naruto groaned and got up as well.

"Where are we?" the fox boy wondered, looking around the barren desert.

Gaara walked to the edge of the cliff and pointed down at Suna. "Now you two aren't causing a scene in the middle of my village."

"Now we can train!" Naruto jumped up.

Kiba and Gaara both glared Naruto down, silencing his idea. "No training, queer." Kiba said, crossing his arms tightly.

"I'm not a queer." Naruto pouted, trying not to feel too discouraged by his friends.

Suddenly Kiba perked up and a sly smile crept across his face. "Hey now, I've got a brilliant idea." The two stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "How about…we spy on the girls? See what they are talking about and whatnot? Huh?"

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms, "You just want to find out if Ino likes you or not."

"What if they say something about you Naruto?" the brunette asked, raising a brow.

This seemed to spark the man's interest. "Okay, let's go!"

Gaara decided he probably didn't have a choice. Sakura would get mad at him if he didn't participate in their childish antics anyways. "Fine."

"Well Gaara, would you do the honor of finding them and transporting us secretly?" Kiba asked. Gaara gave him a hard stare, but the sand around them rose and swirled around them taking them away to their doom.

* * *

They were back at Gaara's mansion, sitting outside the window to Sakura's room on a platform of sand. The girls were currently sitting in a circle on Sakura's huge bed. At the moment they were all laughing at something Temari had told them about Kankuro. When the laughter died down, a serious look came over Ino's face.

"Alright everybody, it's time to talk about boys."

The redhead almost rolled his eyes at the obvious choice in topic. Typical. Didn't girls have anything better to talk about?

"Yes! Maybe now I can find out who Sakura-chan likes!" Naruto said.

Kiba quickly put a hand over the loud boy's mouth. "Quiet you idiot! They'll hear you! And she likes Sasuke, remember? Although, now that he's gonna die she'll have to find somebody else…"

Gaara ignored this. He didn't need to hear Sakura gushing over the Uchiha. But something kept him from leaving.

Sakura merely rolled her eyes at the expected topic her best friend had suggested. "Really Ino? We can't talk about something more important? Like the starving children in smaller villages?"

The blonde merely crossed her arms. "Oh come on Sakura! You can't tell me you're not dying to know who we all like are you?"

She found herself rolling her eyes once more. "Oh please. We all know who Hinata is in love with, that much is obvious. Temari has a weird love-hate relationship going on with Shikamaru, and you're so hung up on Kiba you might as well be a jacket."

Outside, all Gaara could do to not throttle the two idiots beside him on the branch was to focus on Sakura. Dog boy pumped his fist into the air, "Yes! She does like me!" while Naruto was distraught. "Oh come on Sakura-chan! I don't know who Hinata likes! Why couldn't you say his name?"

Gaara couldn't believe this. Was he the only one who didn't realize that the quiet Hyuuga was in love with him? Personally, he couldn't understand why, but it had the potential to be a good match. His sand began to stir, and just as he was about to just disappear he heard Ino ask,

"So Sakura, what's the deal with you and the Kazekage?"

His interest was piqued now. Maybe this whole eavesdropping thing wasn't so bad after all.

Sakura began to turn red from nervousness. "What do you mean? We're just friends."

At this Temari piped up. "Don't give us that. My brother lets you into his personal bubble. He doesn't let _anyone_ into his bubble, especially girls."

"And he acts differently around you than he does other people." Hinata said shyly.

The pink haired kunoichi raised her brow in confusion. "We've gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few days, and it has made us into better friends."

Ino gave her a sly look and leaned closer to her. "How well would you say you've gotten to know each other? On a more personal level?"

Emerald eyes widening at her friend's implications, she hit the blonde in the face with a pillow. "Oh God no! Ino! How could you say something like that?"

"Oh come on Sakura. You've got to admit that Gaara has it goin' on if you know what I mean. Right Hinata?" she said as she elbowed the Hyuuga heiress.

Said girl merely began to poke her fingers together, a sign that she was getting nervous. "Um….well….I guess so, but-"

"Nevermind Hinata, I want to hear what Sakura thinks of my brother." Temari interrupted, causing the lavender eyed girl to give a sigh of relief. She really hated it when people put her on the spot.

A blush began to creep up Sakura's face. "Well of course I think he's attractive. Who wouldn't? But that does not change the fact that we are just friends."

Outside, Naruto began elbowing Gaara. "Did you hear that? Sakura-chan thinks you're attractive!"

"Yeah, but not enough to do anything with him, if you know what I mean." Kiba said, giving them a knowing look.

Without looking away from the window, the redhead moved his hand and the sand beneath Kiba disappeared, dropping him to the ground. Kiba skillfully grabbed some solidified sand and heaved, pulling himself up and glaring at the Kazekage. "Shut up. Sakura is right. We are just friends." It took all of his willpower to continue to ignore the two idiots and listen to what the girls were saying.

"But it can." Ino emphasized. "I mean, if you two get along so well as friends, then you'd get along even better if you would just suck it up and-"

Face beet red now, she hastily interrupted her friend before she said anything that would embarrass her further. "I'm not going to say it again. Gaara and I are_ just friends_."

"You're not just using my brother's feelings for you to get him to let you see where he's keeping Sasuke are you?" Temari asked, a look of pure seriousness on her face. "Because if you are, I will have to kill you Sakura."

His full attention was on Sakura now. He had considered poison, but this method sounded much more like something a conniving female would do. And he had met plenty of those in his lifetime of twenty years. He didn't want to hear anymore, he was already on the verge of breaking through that window and strangling Sakura himself. How could he have been so foolish? Of course she wanted Sasuke more, and she _was_ a woman. She would use any means necessary to get what she wanted. Without any notice, Gaara disappeared with all his sand, letting the two leaf ninja fall into the bushes.

Sakura stared at Temari in shock. "What?" She looked between her three friends. "Do you all think this too?"

"Well, you're our friend Sakura, but Gaara is important to Naruto-kun, and therefore important to us as well." Hinata pointed out.

"We just wanna make sure that you don't do anything that could wind up hurting the both of you in the end." Ino said, a stern look on her own face.

Sakura's face set in determination. "I am so tired of people accusing me of plotting to do things to Gaara. First poison, and now this? What is it with you sand siblings and trust?" She stood on the bed and pointed her finger at her friends to emphasize what she was about to say. "I have never, nor will I ever stoop so low to get what I want. Never in my life would I consider using someone for my own means like that, especially Gaara. I value his friendship too much to destroy it on a traitor like Sasuke, who has done nothing but hurt the people that I love!"

By now silent tears were streaking down her face, her words having opened the box of emotions she'd been keeping shut for so long. Feeling bad about what she said, Temari was the first to put a comforting arm around Sakura's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I just worry about him. He doesn't have a lot of friends, and even though you may not think it, I'm glad that he has found one in you." She said honestly, hugging her more tightly. "The thing is Sakura, Gaara is still fragile. You know him…maybe even better than me sometimes…even if it wasn't true, if he ever even thought that you might do something like that…it would destroy him."

Sakura considered her words, and knew that she was right. Gaara was so guarded all the time with everyone. She had experienced him worry, probably for the first time, about someone outside his family.

That was when the girls heard a loud yell from the window. Ino jumped from the bed and threw the window open. She leaned out and gasped, "Kiba? Naruto? What are you two doing here?" she screeched, shaking her fist in the air to try and distract them from her beet red face. "How long have you been eavesdropping on us?"

Sakura walked to the window and looked out at the two sprawled in the bushes. Something struck her as odd though, and then it hit her, "Naruto! Where's Gaara?" she asked, her worry already growing.

Hinata gasped and Ino went wide eyed. Temari stood up slowly, her face filled with sorrow. "Oh no…"

Sakura couldn't even describe what she was feeling. She jumped out the window and landed next to the two boys, grabbing them both by the neck and slamming them against the wall, causing a huge crack to shoot up the side of the house from the impact. "_What_ did Gaara hear!" she demanded. She wasn't a fool, there was no way Gaara hadn't been there with them.

They tried to speak, but all that came out were loud, rasping gasps. Sakura eased up on her grip only slightly, her glare rivaling Gaara's. "Tell me!" she screamed, fighting desperately to stop the tears from reforming in her eyes as she waited for them to confirm her fears. She already knew what he heard and when he decided to vanish, something he _always_ seemed to do at the _wrong_ time.

"He…" Kiba barely made out, "heard Temari's theory, but left before you…" he tried to breathe and finally Sakura let go, the both of them sliding down the wall gasping for air as they held their throats. "He left before you said you wouldn't."

"Damn it Gaara!" Sakura cursed and dashed away from the house. She had to find him and fix this. She didn't know why, but she wouldn't be able to stand having Gaara hate her.

She ran on the rooftops throughout the entire village. By now the villagers were able to recognize her, not only as the Godaime Hokage's apprentice, but also as the Kazekage's friend, and she did not want there to be any unnecessary questions or gossip about why she was running around the city in such a frenzied state so late at night.

She almost smiled at the irony of it all. Here she was worried about someone she had just recently come to know, who didn't have enough faith in her to believe that she would never hurt him, as they seem do to her so frequently. She and Gaara really were messed up people. But she didn't want him to think so badly of her, and felt a strong need to rectify this situation as soon as possible.

She expanded her chakra, trying in vain to sense him. With luck not on her side, she went back to the house, knowing that he would eventually come home, as he always did. She began to pace, but after a few seconds of that pointless exercise, she looked at the clock. It was only eleven, and if she knew Gaara, he wouldn't be back until after midnight, as was his habit.

Not in the mood to train her worry away, she did the only other thing she was good at. She cooked. Having both ovens occupied, all four eyes of the stove in use, and the microwave running, Sakura cooked herself to the bone. By the end she had made brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, lasagna, pizza, salad, fruit salad, potato salad, and, in case she got tired of the chocolate, vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles.

Once that was all done she washed and put away all the dishes she had used. She didn't want Gaara to come home to a messy kitchen after all. Needing something else to occupy her hands and time with, she began to clean. Not that the house needed it much, but it was better than nothing. And since the house was enormous, it would take her at least thirty minutes to finish. That was thirty minutes she wouldn't have to worry about, or be angry at, Gaara.

Still in a cleaning mood when she finished, she decided to do some laundry. After all, she would need to do it eventually, since she only brought enough clothes for five days. Grabbing all of hers, she decided to go into Gaara's room and get his. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him after all. And besides, she was doing something nice for him. Feeling a sense of foreboding when she entered his room, she quickly grabbed his laundry basket and left, taking no time whatsoever to look around. Her curiosity would just have to wait. She just hoped that Gaara came home soon, before she went crazy and did something stupid.

* * *

The only sound in the room came from the fuming redhead. Gaara stood in a large room beneath the Ninja Academy, that was once a training room for the students of Suna, but the place was destroyed. All the manikins and dummies were pulverized and unrecognizable. He was breathless, his shirt on the ground and torn to shreds. The clone of himself fell back into a pile of sand. His hand twitched, and blood from his knuckles dripped onto the floor. Another clone rose instantly from behind and attempted an attack on its master. Gaara swung around with a roundhouse kick, slamming his leg into the face of the clone and obliterating his opponent. The sand exploded and fell to the ground once more. Gaara looked around at the destruction and started laughing manically.

He looked up toward the ceiling, smiling evilly. "Ah, how stupid can I get?" he yelled at himself. The sand around him began to move in an agitated rhythm, causing the paint on the walls began to chip off from the swirling grains. "Of course." He laughed maliciously, looking back down and around the room. He grabbed his head with one of his bloody hands, smearing the crimson across his face. "She wanted the Uchiha. It was the only reason." He smirked and cackled, the sound coming out hoarse.

"YOU JUST WANTED THE UCHIHA!" Gaara shouted, and the sand spun faster around him, in sync with his emotions that were now a chaotic mess. "Sakura…Sakura…I HATE YOU SAKURA!" he seethed, clutching his heart.

He wished he could have a reason to destroy something, but Shukaku was gone now and he had a responsibility to uphold. He looked up swiftly and a psychotic smile crept up his face. "I am the Kazekage." He told himself and slowly began to laugh again. "I know who we can take this out on," he nodded, trying to hold in his insane laugher. The sand in the arena exploded and retreated back to its master, dissolving him into the grains.

* * *

The chamber was silent, not even the breaths its only occupant was taking were heard. There was a small platform at the entrance, but the room was just a giant pool of darkness, miles deep. The only object in the room was a large iron cage suspended from the ceiling, its inhabitant restrained in every possible way with seals and chains. The silence was disturbed by a dark laughter echoing down the only hall. Gaara emerged from the shadows, a sadistic smile plastered on his face. "Hello Uchiha, enjoying your stay here in Suna?"

The dark haired avenger focused his eyes on the Kazekage and let out a grunt. "What do you want now? Here to finally kill me?" he said coolly, not intimidated in the least. If he was going to die, then he wasn't going to show any fear.

Gaara's face fell instantly at the Uchiha's words. "Heh, not quite yet, but soon enough." He promised, forming his hands into fists. Sasuke watched the blood drip from Gaara's knuckles and hit the floor with a loud splat. Even he was set on unease by this appearance, because it reminded him of something. He looked just like he had when he was changing into the demon.

"I hope Suna knows their Kazekage is a psychopath." Sasuke taunted, a smirk forming on his face. "You look like you just came back from a bloodbath."

"Your stupid friend has come to save you from me." Gaara said.

Sasuke's brow arched as he laughed, "Friend?"

Gaara's eyes contorted into a glare as the stare off began. "Haruno." As he said the name his mouth curled up in a snarl.

"Sakura? Haha, she's here for me? When is she ever going to give up?" Sasuke watched Gaara's reactions. They were unpredictable to see with how he was standing. "If she's here, then Naruto must be here as well. I bet they hate you because you won't release me so that they can take me back to their precious village." He seethed.

The redhead's eyes dilated, the sand around him formed so fast that Sasuke didn't have a chance to brace himself against the impact of a giant hand striking the cage. He fell forward and slammed his head onto the metal bars, splitting his lip in the process.

"What a terrible Kazekage!" Sasuke spouted, sneering against the cold iron. "You can't even control your anger. You're still such a child Gaara of the Sand, no matter how much you try to act any different." The Uchiha taunted.

"SHUT UP!" Gaara shouted, the sand hitting the cage once more, throwing the last Uchiha around the prison like a rag doll. "I HATE YOU! YOU STUPID UCHIHA!" the sand hand broke apart and the loose grains surrounded Sasuke, forming a cocoon around him. It moved closer and closer, threatening to end Sasuke's life.

Sasuke grit his teeth together painfully to keep from giving Gaara the scream he knew the redhead wanted. Suddenly the sand fell away and returned to Gaara. His red hair was covering his eyes and he looked lifeless. "Your days are coming to an end Uchiha." He said quietly, turning away from him and going back down the dark hall.

What was going on with him? He couldn't control himself at all. He didn't want to be like this. He needed to be strong for his people. Gaara walked wearily back to his home, not caring about the perplexed looks he was getting from some of the late night villagers. A small, sad smile came across his face as he imagined his appearance: half dressed, bloody and tattered, he couldn't even imagine the psychotic look that must have been on his face.

He really just wanted to go to sleep and forget this awful day. He looked up when he stopped in front of his house. Finally, he thought to himself. He could have transported himself inside in a matter of seconds, but his mind was so unpredictable right now that he didn't trust himself with his sand. He opened the door and walked in, shutting in behind him in the process.

* * *

Sakura was folding the laundry when she heard the door shut. Not caring that her hair was sticking up every which way from constantly running her fingers through it, or that she had smudges of food and cleaning products all over her body, she ran into the front hallway, only to gasp at what she saw. Running up to the haggard looking Kazekage, she grabbed his bleeding hands in hers and began to heal them.

"Gaara! What happened? Are you okay?" She looked up into his eyes pleadingly. "Gaara, you have to understand about earlier. You see I-"

He wrenched his hands away, preventing her from healing his bloodied knuckles. "What the_ hell_ are you doing in my house?" Gaara yelled. His body moved so quickly that the next thing Sakura knew, she was smashed against the wall, his bleeding hand wrapped tightly around her throat. She lifted her hands up reflexively, trying to move his arm just a little so she could get even a small gasp of air.

Anger overcoming fear, she began to yell at him as best she could with only half of her air. "I'm cleaning it you idiot! Waiting for you to come back so I can explain about earlier! You left before even hearing what I had to say! And while I'm on that subject, how dare you eavesdrop on our conversation! Don't you have any manners?"

He pulled her away from the wall and then slammed her back into it, his grip tightening so she couldn't even make a sound. "I don't need to hear your lies!" he seethed, and then began to laugh darkly. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you." He leaned closer, his face inches from hers. She could smell the blood that was smeared on his face. "Sakura, isn't this familiar?" he inquired, his smirk only growing. "Same situation, but this time…I'll kill you myself. I don't need a demon Sakura, I _am_ a demon."

He moved his hand from her throat and pressed her whole body against his to keep her in place, "Did you think you could get away with that Sakura? Did you really think that you could _persuade_ me into letting that idiot go?" he stopped and took in a sharp intake of breath. "I really don't want to hurt you Sakura," he admitted softly, almost sounding like his old self. "But," he laughed, and the demon was back. "I really want to kill you for what you did. I trusted you…and you betrayed me!" his eyes dilated and his grip on her tightened, bruising her skin.

Sakura winced at his words, and his actions. He was right. The whole situation did bring back memories. Memories of her defending Sasuke and almost being killed by Gaara. And now, almost being killed by Gaara again, because of a misunderstanding leaving him thinking she was defending Sasuke yet again, when in reality, it was him she was defending. Somehow, she always got punished for being nice. It was when this realization hit that something inside her cracked and she began to laugh hysterically in Gaara's arms.

Gaara blinked. Well that definitely wasn't the reaction that he had expected. He moved back, his hands still holding Sakura, but now by the arms. He stared at her, an odd look on his bloodstained face. She just continued laughing, not paying him any mind. It wasn't her true laugh though, there was something wrong with it. It almost sounded the way his did when he was younger, right before he killed someone. Suddenly Gaara became angry and insulted, "Do you think this is a joke Sakura?" he growled lowly.

She stopped laughing and sobered instantly, and stared into his eyes. "If you're going to kill me, please do it quickly." Then she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face to the left. When the expected blow didn't come, she stole a glance at the redhead, only to see him staring at her like she was insane, which was funny considering the situation.

When he moved she flinched somewhat, but what he did surprised her even more. Gaara pulled her closer with a more tender touch, and rested his head on her shoulder. He stayed that way for quite some time, just breathing in her scent. "Why are you here?" he finally asked.

She hesitantly reached her hand up and began to rub his back gently. "To explain. I couldn't just let you disappear thinking horrible things about me." She chuckled. "Although that plan backfired terribly." Becoming serious once again, she softly sighed into his hair. "I want you to understand something Gaara. I would never, _ever_, do something like that to anybody, especially you. I value your friendship too much to jeopardize it over a jerk like Sasuke."

She felt his sigh brush her neck. He seemed relieved, which was good. He didn't move though. He felt comfortable for the first time in a long time. Now he really wished he hadn't pulled one of his disappearing acts, it would have prevented this from happening. So he could trust Sakura, and somehow, even when he wanted to crush her body beneath his sand, something was holding him back. Of course he would never admit that aloud. He finally straightened up and looked down at the pink haired woman.

Gaara smelled the air and looked back at the kitchen, and then Sakura heard his stomach give a loud and ferocious growl. He laughed and looked between her and the kitchen, "Sorry, I'm very hungry, and I can smell something good." He pulled away from her grasp and went into the kitchen.

"What did you _do_ Sakura?" was all she could hear from the living room, but he didn't sound happy.

She walked leisurely into the warm light and glanced over at Gaara. "What do you mean? I told you that I had cooked." She crossed her arms, daring him to say anything more. "I cook when I'm upset okay? So I made a few things. If you hadn't come home when you did I would probably be stuffing my face with the chocolate cake right now." She finished, giving him a sheepish grin.

He looked back at the filled kitchen, assuming she had used all their newly bought food to cook everything. This meant…his face dropped into a downcast frown. "Sakura, I don't want to go shopping again. I hate it, can't you just do that without me?" He whined.

She raised a delicate brow at him. "No. Now you can show me that you actually paid attention to what I taught you. That way I can know for sure that you will be able to do it on your own after I leave."

Gaara simply scoffed, "Yeah right. I'll kidnap you if I have to. I am _not_ shopping."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Good luck with that. I may not be as easy to find as you'd think."

He mimicked her look and smirked, "A good quality you have Sakura is that…you always come back home." His sly smile only grew as he walked past her and grabbed a slice of the pizza she had made. He bit into it and leaned against the counter, just watching her now. It was then that she realized he still had blood splattered all over his body.

"Oh my God! How could I have been so thoughtless?" She rushed to his side once again and quickly began healing him. "Let me know if anything hurts." Recalling what he had just said, she looked into his eyes, giving him a sly smirk, she replied "If you really think about it, you're the one who always comes home Mr. Disappear When Things Don't Go My Way."

The redhead took her wrists tenderly and moved them away so she could no longer heal him. "Sakura I'm fine. I will heal, its ok." He assured her, bringing her closer to him. He brushed some hair from her eyes and leaned down. "It's my house, so of course I come here. But you're the one who always comes back and makes my dinner." He teased, a taunting smile forming on his face.

She huffed, not really having a comeback for that one, so she decided to ignore it. "But you could scar. Don't you want me to fix them so that doesn't happen?" Realizing her blunder, she quickly tried to cover it up. "Not that scars are bad or anything, but you know, some people don't like them, and-" she also became conscious of the fact that she was also staring at the only actual scar on his body. Again.

"Sakura stop freaking out, its fine. If it makes you feel better go ahead and heal me." He held his hands up for her to take. She placed her hands on his, a green glow emitting from them. The wounds on Gaara's hands began to close, leaving his skin unblemished. She looked back up at his shoulder and saw the mark once again. Her face flushed in embarrassment once more and she looked away. He took her hand and lifted it to his chest, placing her palm to rest on the scar. "I assume you've figured out when I received this."

She turned crimson at the feel of his warm skin beneath her hand. "Yes, but I figured that it was a touchy subject, so I left it alone."

"Do you remember what it feels like? To experience intense pain for the first time…" he stopped then, and looked off. "It's a constant reminder of the one person I hate in this world."

"I…understand. Why do you think I've kept my hair short all these years? To remind me never to be so weak that I can't help the ones I love when they need me." She clenched her fist. "I never want to be left on the sidelines ever again."

Gaara nodded with understanding. He looked over her head and then back down into her eyes. "It's very late Sakura. We should probably head to bed."

Sakura glanced behind her as well and saw the time. "Oh wow, our nights seem to be getting later and later as the week goes on." She laughed and took his hand affectionately, pulling him with her towards the stairs. Once they were at the top she went to her door and stole another glance at her Kazekage. She blinked, did she just think of Gaara as _her_ Kazekage?

"Goodnight Sakura," he said softly before disappearing down the hallway and into his room.

"Goodnight…Gaara."


	8. Revenge

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Eight_

-Operation Day Four: Revenge-

_She was walking down the streets of Suna, but something was different. People were looking at her with respect instead of completely ignoring her presence. Suddenly she realized that her hand was warm, and that she was holding something smooth. The sensation felt oddly familiar, as if she had experienced this before._

_She looked down, only to find that what she was holding was in fact a hand. A very pale, smooth hand. She smiled. That explained why she felt so content. This was the happiest she had felt in years to be honest._

_Then she remembered that this was the same dream she had had before. So she slowly began to trail her gaze upwards. She admired the muscular arm, but before she could reach the owner's shoulder, her dream world shattered, like broken glass. Then, everything went black._

Sakura bolted upright in her bed, breathing heavily. Why couldn't she see his face? She vowed that if she ever had the dream again, she would immediately look at his face, instead of admiring his physique.

Unlike the first time she had had this dream, she felt cold and alone, instead of warm and fuzzy. Not wanting to be alone after such an odd dream, she threw her legs over the side of the bed and made her way down the hall. Pausing outside the redhead's door, she lifted her fist and gave a timid knock.

Without even a sound from the other side of the door, such as the rustling of sheets that she assumed would come, Gaara commanded her to enter. She pushed the door open and peeked her head inside. The room was dark, but she could make out Gaara's clearly defined silhouette, sitting upright in his large bed. "What?"

Sakura blinked and stepped into the room completely, shutting his door behind her quietly. "Gaara…" Sakura began, a blush rising to her cheeks. Thank goodness it was dark. "I just had a weird dream, and it kind of gave me an uneasy feeling. Would it be okay if I stayed in here with you for a bit…I just really don't want to be alone right now."

Gaara remained silent for a while, but then pulled back the covers on the untouched side of his bed. "Come." he pat the mattress loudly. Sakura hastily made her way to the offered spot. Sliding under the silky sheets, she pulled them over the lower half of her body. Tucking her knees under her chin, she wrapped her arms around her legs. She felt the mattress lull as Gaara leaned closer to her, trying to see her features through the darkness. "Are you alright?"

She turned her head in his direction, her blush darkening at their close proximity. But with Gaara, she guessed she would just have to get used to it. "I'll be fine in a little while. What about you? I expected you to be asleep when I knocked on your door."

He faced forward and stared at the wall for a long while. He wasn't used to talking about anything with anyone. But Sakura seemed to like it when he told her about what was bothering him, "I was forced awake by a dream as well."

She straightened at this knowledge. "Really? What happened in your dream?" She figured that he slept now that the Shukaku wasn't residing in him anymore, but she never imagined that he would have dreams as well. It was just another sign that he really was human after all.

"Well," he still felt uncomfortable, but this was what normal people did wasn't it? "You remember when the Akatsuki took me and…I died…" he stopped there, not sure how to continue.

Sadness came over her face then, as she remembered Lady Chiyo's sacrifice, and Gaara's miraculous revival. Even though she didn't know the redhead very well then, she had been genuinely worried about him. Her eyes regained their light. It was also when she had killed Sasori of the Red Sand, proving to everyone else, and herself, that she was no longer the weakling of Team Seven. "I remember."

"Well, the dream was kind of like when I was dead. There was nothing…absolutely nothing. When I stepped forward, and I guess something broke because I fell. My sand wouldn't respond to me either and I just…fell. Then I heard someone mumbling, and I woke up." He finished, staring down at his bed. "I don't understand what it means, it's only the second dream I've ever had."

Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Well, I'm no expert, but it seems to me that something in your life is spiraling out of control, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Maybe whoever the voice belongs to is the one who can save you from your fall." She shrugged. "But then again, these are just the musings of a troubled girl." Placing her hand on his, she lightly gave it a squeeze. "Thanks for keeping me company Gaara. I think I'll return to bed now."

With that Sakura got up from the bed and headed out of the room. Gaara watched her shadow leave, and then lifted his hand up. He stared at his empty, open palm and slowly closed it. He fell back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Nothing was spiraling out of control, at least he couldn't think of anything that was.

* * *

It was morning the next time Gaara opened his eyes. He tossed the covers aside and slid out of bed. What an interesting night. He had never let anyone into his room before, and then so suddenly Sakura had been sitting with him in his bed. He shook his bed head out and theorized that Naruto must have drugged him. He nodded and headed downstairs to make Sakura her breakfast, just like he had for the past couple of days. When he reached the kitchen and saw all the food still out, he sighed and looked in the refrigerator, only seeing a few eggs remaining. "Well this will just have to do," he said to himself. He quickly whipped up a couple omelets and took the plates upstairs to Sakura's room. This time he did better and knocked, but after the third one he walked in.

"Good morning Sakura."

Said kunoichi paused mid stretch, arms in the air and chest pushed slightly forward. When she saw Gaara in her room she immediately stopped and gave the redhead an annoyed look. "What did I tell you about barging into my room?"

"At least I knocked this time, I gave you a clear three second warning." He informed her, coming beside her and setting the plate on her bedside table.

She crossed her arms. "That doesn't mean that I was ready for you to come in. What I said the first time still applies. I could have been indecent, and three seconds is barely enough time to grab something in order to cover myself."

Gaara just rolled his eyes, and leaned against the wall, beginning to eat his own breakfast. "It's not like you really are ever going to be indecent." He scooped the last of his omelet into his mouth and swallowed quickly. "Now hurry up and get ready, I need to get to the office."

She began to eat her breakfast. "Okay." Finishing her meal, she hopped out of bed and began to search for her training clothes. Today was her day off, and she knew just who she wanted to spend it with. Remembering that she had done the laundry last night, she ran past Gaara, grabbing his plate and putting it in the sink on her way to the laundry room. When she found what she was looking for, she turned to run back upstairs and get dressed.

Midway up she heard a loud, demanding yell. "SAKURA!"

She shied back down the stairs, contemplating on making a run for it. He must have just realized she had gone into his room without his permission. She could hear the stomps on the upper floor. Gaara appeared at the top of the stairs, anger apparent on his face. "_WHERE_ are my clothes? And why were you in my room without permission?"

She poked her fingers together in a very Hinata-like fashion. "Hehe….well….you see…I told you that I had done laundry last night, and I figured that you would have some dirty clothes as well. So I went into your room and grabbed them out of your laundry basket. But I didn't touch anything I swear! I even ironed them for you to get all the wrinkles out!"

He stalked down the stairs, watching her warily. He decided to let this one go, since he did almost kill her last night. "Fine. Just _don't_ go in there again without permission." And with that he disappeared from her sight to go and retrieve his clothes.

She hastily got dressed, and strapped her weapons pouch around her waist. Coming down the stairs, she met a fully dressed Gaara, who raised a questioning brow at her. "Planning on getting attacked today?"

She merely shrugged. "You never know when you're going to need a kunai. Might as well be prepared." With that, she walked out the door.

The walk to the hospital was a quiet one, and when he turned to leave Sakura put her hand on his arm. "Don't forget that we're going shopping today after you pick me up. So try to be a little early if you can." She gave him a smile, seeing the distressed look on his face, and walked off to begin her rounds.

And here he had thought that he would get away with not going with her. How wrong he had been.

* * *

"Hey Yoko, I'm taking the day off, so you can be in charge." Sakura said flippantly, waving the matter off.

The brunette gave her an incredulous look. "You mean the great Sakura needs a break? Be still my beating heart!" she mocked.

If only, the pink haired medic thought. Quirking a brow at the older woman, she simply stated, "I have a few things that need to be taken care of. I didn't really _have_ to come in today, but I thought I would just check up on things. Can you handle it?"

The other medic simply laughed. "I've been running this hospital since before you knew how to summon healing chakra to those dainty hands of yours. Just because you're gone for one day doesn't mean that the place will fall apart."

It was Sakura's turn to laugh now. Maybe Yoko wasn't so bad after all. "Don't burn the place down." She said as she walked out the door.

It didn't take her very long to find the object of her wrath. Pasting a fake smile on her face, she went up to her group of friends, who were lounging around the square. "Hey guys! What's up?"

"Hi Sakura-chan! What are you up to today?" her energetic blonde friend asked.

"Actually Naruto, I was looking for Kiba." She informed him, her gaze sliding over to the brunette.

Said boy raised a questioning brow at her. "Whaddaya lookin' for me for?"

She rocked back and forth on her heels, trying to contain her excited, evil intentions. "I just wanted to know if you would like to have a friendly spar. It'll be fun." She said in a sing-song voice, only adding to the innocence she was portraying.

He shrugged. "Sounds fine to me. I'll finally be able to mark you off the list of people I haven't beaten. Just let me go get Akamaru."

"Oh you won't need him." She stated hastily. "This spar will be strictly taijutsu."

"Even better. I can train, and beat you at the same time." The dog master said with a confident grin.

With an evil smirk, Sakura muttered, "We'll see."

"Hey, where is Akamaru anyways? I haven't seen him since we arrived." Ino asked.

Kiba simply waved off the question with indifference. "Oh he's probably off chasing the wild cats of the desert or something. He'll come if I need him." Turning towards Sakura he said, "Ok let's go! I wanna start as soon as possible."

"Excellent." She said as she rubbed her hands together, plotting her revenge.

* * *

Gaara couldn't believe the great day he was having. His desk was clear and organized, and all of the missions were signed off and given out to their respected levels. He took out the last scroll on his desk and began to read the text. He had had no interruptions all day, all his work was completed, and not one word from his blonde friend or siblings.

"Ah, today has gone just perfectly." He said to himself, pulling out a pen and beginning to take notes on the scroll. That was when he stopped, a suspicious look coming across his face. Why hadn't he had any interruptions? He _always_ had someone bothering him.

A loud rumble shook his desk, and the area around him. Gaara eyed the ground warily, that wasn't normal. They didn't have earthquakes in Suna. Gaara stood and let out a deep sigh, the absence of his…_annoyances_…was probably the root behind this odd occurrence. At least he had gotten all his work done for the day and he wouldn't have to worry about it later. The sand around him picked up and whisked him away to the source of the commotion.

Gaara appeared in the entrance of one of the largest training fields in Suna. What he saw almost made him laugh out loud. Almost.

"Sakura! I thought this was just supposed to be a friendly spar!" Kiba whined, barely missing the fist aimed for his face.

"Were you being friendly when you decided to eavesdrop on us last night? Were you being friendly when you caused Gaara to run off and have a psychotic episode?" she yelled, going in to attack him again.

"I said I was sorry! What will it take for you to forgive me?" he yelled, running from her once more.

"Your face bruised and battered." Was all she said before using a series of punches and kicks on him. He was able to dodge them, causing Sakura to hit the ground with her fist, creating a huge crack in the earth. "Stop running away and let me hit you! Gaara will be upset if we destroy one of his best training fields!"

"You're the one destroying it!" he said frantically, trying to come up with a plan. But it was useless. Clearly, the pink haired kunoichi had been planning this, and what a good plan it was.

Gaara watched the spar with a huge smirk. He could tell just one hit from Sakura and Kiba would be hospitalized for at least a month.

Kiba weaved in and out of Sakura's attacks, feeling the wind from her hands brush by his face. Man this had been a bad idea! "Sakura please! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"

"Didn't mean to?" Sakura yelled, pulling her fist back and aiming it at his face, narrowly missing and sending a crack up a nearby tree. "You don't understand how impressionable Gaara is right now! He's just learning how to act around people, let alone his friends!" she told him angrily, jumping into the air and raining a kick down on his head. Kiba ducked swiftly and scrambled for an area of safety.

"Ok! Ok Sakura! I promise to be better, please just stop!" he yelped as he barely dodged another fist.

"Not until I am satisfied with your punishment!" The kunoichi yelled, gently grazing his left arm. Jumping back a bit more, the helpless ninja tried for a different approach. Distraction.

"Hey! The agreement was only to use taijutsu! That means no chakra enhanced punches!"

She smirked in a very Gaara-esque fashion. "I'm not using any chakra. This is my natural strength." She told him, before jumping back into action.

Standing on the sidelines, Naruto had a very nervous look on his face. "I've never seen Sakura-chan this scary before."

"Not even when she was hitting you for saying something stupid?" Temari asked.

The blonde merely shook his head, speechless. "Wow, that's a first. I've got to see if Sakura can teach me some of that." The wind master pondered out loud.

The last thing Gaara needed was for his sister to learn more ways to hurt people, the Kazekage thought with a shake of his head. He would stay, though, to see how this would end. He never knew that Sakura was so naturally strong.

"I hope you have a high pain tolerance Kiba." The pink haired woman said in his ear. Said ninja turned around quickly, only to be met with air.

"What do you mean?" He asked, afraid of the answer.

She appeared on his other side, saying "When I'm done with you, you'll be in a lot of pain." And before he had time to react, she made contact with Kiba's face, sending him flying across the field, and through a tree.

"Kiba!" Ino yelled, running to him.

"Back off Ino! Unless you want me to kick your skinny ass too!" Sakura said, stomping over to where the brunette was laying.

Ino stayed in front of Kiba, spreading her arms out as if to take a blow from her friend in his place. "Sakura! Stop! He's sorry ok! And don't _you_ threaten me!" Ino yelled back, standing her ground, but she looked a bit nervous. She was no match for Sakura's strength, her only option would be to trick her. "You can't tell me to stand aside, what would you do if Gaara had gotten hurt?" she jabbed, taking a confident step forward.

The pink haired kunoichi paused mid-step, hesitating. Regaining her momentum she continued forward, and slowly began to raise her fist. "Gaara did get hurt! Do you have any idea what I went through last night to fix the mess that Kiba made? He will pay for what he put Gaara through!"

Ino glared at her friend. This wasn't exactly how she wanted to spend her afternoon. "I'm sorry Sakura, but I just can't let you do that to Kiba!" Ino opened her kunai holster and pulled out two, tossing one into her other hand.

"Beating up Kiba anymore than you already have isn't going to make you feel better!" Ino yelled and ran at Sakura, slashing at her swiftly. Sakura dodged out of the way, aiming a fist at the blonde's face.

"You don't even _know_ how Gaara came home last night! There was blood all over him!" Sakura screamed, slamming her fist into the ground. The earth shook violently, breaking apart in enormous chunks.

Ino flipped back and attached herself to the wall, pumping chakra into her feet. She looked fiercely at Sakura. "But he probably did that to HIMSELF! Stop blaming Kiba! He said he was sorry! Gaara is fine now, so CALM DOWN!" Ino made a couple hand signs and framed Sakura with her hands. Something blue shot across the field and slammed into Sakura. The medic stopped her advance on the blonde, appearing more like a lifeless doll.

Gaara moved forward, slightly alarmed by Sakura's actions. He had seen this before at the chuunin exams. Ino jumped off the wall and landed in front of Sakura, pulling out a seal from her bag. She pulled Sakura's hands together behind her back and wrapped the seal around her wrists tightly. "Please calm down Sakura." Ino whispered to her friend before releasing her from the jutsu.

Sakura may not be able to use her fists, but she still had her legs, and they were just as powerful. The pink haired kunoichi immediately swung her legs around, effectively knocking Ino to the ground on her back. Before the blonde could react, Sakura was standing over Kiba, whose face was bleeding from the hit she had landed earlier.

"Sakura! No!" Ino yelled, getting up.

She turned to her friend. "Don't worry Ino, I'm not going to kill him or anything." Then she made eye contact with the semi-conscious brunette. "If you do anything like that to cause Gaara to harm himself _ever_ again, you will bleed from more places than just your face. I will make sure of it." She slowly broke the seal, tearing it like it was plain paper, causing Ino to gasp.

"You mean, you could've broken the seal the whole time?" she asked incredulously.

Walking up to her friend, she merely lifted the corner of her mouth in a half smile. "Tsunade-shishou taught me how to counter various types of seals." She placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I'm sorry Ino, can you ever forgive me?"

Ino stood quickly and made a hit at Sakura's arm. "What's wrong with you? You're so mean!" she huffed and crossed her arms. "How could you do that to Kiba?" Ino ran back over to him and lifted his head to her lap. "Are you ok Kiba?"

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get a word out someone else spoke, causing a chill to rush down her spine. "Sakura." Gaara called from his high viewpoint, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Naruto and Temari looked up instantly and saw that Gaara had been there since who knew when. Hinata blinked and looked up as well, stifling a small laugh. "He's been here awhile." She said quietly.

Naruto gave her an incredulous look. "You mean you knew he was here the whole time and didn't tell us?"

Hinata merely shrugged. "I figured, if he wanted us to know he was here he would have made his presence more obvious."

The kyuubi merely crossed his arms in annoyance. "Gosh Hinata, I never knew you were so mean!" he whined.

She giggled. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Naruto-kun."

Back on the training field, Sakura stared into the jade depths of Gaara's eyes, transfixed in what she saw there. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, and part of her was afraid to find out. She walked over to the tree, and put on the most innocent face she could muster. "Yes?"

"Come here," was his only reply. He didn't bother giving anyone else a glance, despite the fact that he was impressed by the Hyuuga girl for sensing his presence.

Ino was about to make a snap at Sakura, but the serious look on Gaara's face kept her mouth shut. She looked down at Kiba and then back to the Kazekage. He was so hard to read. She couldn't tell if he was upset or angry.

With a graceful leap, Sakura landed next to Gaara on the top of the wall. Unsure of what he was going to say, she clasped her hands behind her back and began to fidget. All he did was gesture for her to come along with him as he walked off and jumped to the ground. They walked in silence for some time, passing shops and restaurants.

"Are you alright Sakura?" he questioned, looking down at her face.

She looked up at him, surprise written all over her expression. "I'm fine. Kiba's the one you should be worried about. I think I broke his nose and dislocated his jaw." She knew she should sound remorseful about what she had done to him, but when she thought about it, it was nothing compared to what would have happened if Ino hadn't interfered. She would have to thank her friend for that later.

Gaara stopped, right there in the middle of the street, and stared her down. "Sakura, please, I just watched you almost kill your friend for my sake." He gave her a small smile that only she could see. "I told you I was alright, and I am. You're acting strange, and I think it would be best if we both were not having psychotic episodes." He took her hand and lifted it up some, almost like he were about to kiss it. He pulled her closer and leaned down towards her face, "Though I did find it amusing that you were fighting for me." He smirked and led her over towards a food cart. "Now we have shopping to do, don't we?"

Stunned, and a bit shocked that he wasn't mad, she smiled into his face. "Yes, I believe we do." Pulling his head towards her, she whispered into his ear, "By the way, you're not the only one who's allowed to have psychotic episodes. I will try to control myself, but I won't make any promises." And before he could respond, she had engaged the vendor in conversation about the new produce he had received, as if nothing had happened.

Gaara laughed and made his way to her side, a spectator in this odd act called grocery shopping. The two walked around the marketplace, Sakura buying more and more, which meant that Gaara had more to carry. Some of the specters in the market looked appalled at the sight of their Kazekage holding all the belongings of the pink haired medic. It was simply unknown to them that Gaara would even shop at all. Sakura on the other hand, knew that for the villagers to see such a sight, it would cause them to come to love and respect their Kazekage more.

When they finished their shopping trip, they headed straight for the house. Gaara had asked her if she needed to check on Kiba, to which she shrugged. "Not really. Ino knows basic first aid. I'm sure he'll be fine. I don't really care whether he heals properly or not. It'll just leave him a constant reminder never to upset me again." She said with a murderous glint to her eyes.

"Devious," he laughed, and heaved the bags onto the counter once they were in the kitchen. They began putting away the food and setting everything in the cupboards as Sakura started dinner for the evening. Surprisingly, it was an uneventful day for the duo, and the first in which they didn't fight before going to bed.


	9. Loss

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Nine_

-Operation Day Five: Loss-

"Get him to a room! Hurry!" someone shouted.

A small group of nurses came running down the hallway, a stretcher in between them.

"He's lost consciousness! Someone check his pulse! Quick!" one of the nurses said.

Lying on the stretcher was a small boy. Probably only eleven years old.

"Someone get Sakura-sama! She's the only one who can save him now!"

Everyone scrambled into the room, and began prepping for surgery as the pink haired medic was sought out.

* * *

Six hours later a completely worn and dejected Sakura left the hospital. There was nothing she could do for the poor genin, and she felt completely useless, once again. Gaara wouldn't be there to get her for another hour or so, but she couldn't stay any longer. With the guilt that she had let a young boy die, someone who wasn't even from her village, she began to walk around town aimlessly.

Eventually she reached the Kazekage Tower. Not wanting anyone she knew to see her, she directed what remaining chakra she had left and ran up the side of the building, not stopping until she reached the top. The pink haired woman walked to the center and lay on her back, staring into the sky. She let out a sigh. If only she could fly away like the birds, and leave all her troubles behind.

* * *

Gaara shut his office door behind him and started down the hallway. It was already five o'clock, and he was late picking up Sakura. He really hoped she wouldn't be upset about it, but there were always things to be done at a hospital, so maybe she wouldn't be upset after all. Gaara came up to the large brown building and went inside, expecting to find Sakura waiting for him. She was nowhere to be seen though, so the redhead walked up to the receptionist desk and cleared his throat. "Where is Sakura?"

The girl looked up and tried to hold down the smile that came across her face at the sight of the Kazekage. Then his question sunk in and she shook her head, "I don't know Kazekage-sama, she left about two hours ago."

He looked distraught, Sakura had left? "Did she say where she was going?"

"No sir, she just said 'I cannot be here anymore. I have to clear my head.' And that was it." She informed him. Gaara felt a cold chill run down his spine. It almost felt like he had been punched in the stomach. This was the second time he didn't know where Sakura was, and it was even worse than before. He turned to leave, in order to go and search for her no matter how long it took, when someone called his name.

"Hello Gaara-sama!" Yoko waved and jogged up to him. "How nice of you to drop by, I was just thinking about you." She flashed him a smile and attempted to get closer to him. Gaara immediately backed away from her. She was too close to his personal space.

"I was actually looking for Sakura, have you seen her? Or know where she went?" he asked, not wanting to talk to this cougar any longer than needed. She did after all have a good fifteen years on him.

Yoko's smile fell from her face and was replaced with a look of contempt. "No I haven't. She just left all her duties without even a word. She even let a patient die because she decided she was too tired to perform the surgery. Just up and left she did." She looked down, attempting to look distraught over the loss. "I don't think she even cares about what happens to the people in this hospital Gaara-sama." She moved closer to him once more, only to have him back away again.

Now he looked angry, but it was most certainly not at Sakura. "Just shut up Yoko. Instead of being a bitch to one of the greatest medics of our time, why don't you sit back and take a couple notes." He glared, his voice filled with malice. "If I ever hear another disdainful comment about Sakura uttered from your mouth, I will shut it for you, personally." With that he made an about face and walked out of the hospital, leaving an astonished Yoko standing in the lobby.

Gaara paced down the streets, looking ever vigilantly for his missing medic. What had really happened at the hospital, he wondered? Something must have upset Sakura for her to just leave without waiting for him and he was determined to find out what was wrong and help her fix it.

* * *

Naruto scaled the Kazekage Tower, jumping back and forth between the buildings to make it to the top. He landed at the top and smiled, then noticed the other being up here. "Sakura-chan?" he blinked, she turned her head to the side slightly to see the energetic ninja behind her, but did nothing to acknowledge his presence.

Naruto's face fell into a frown, he walked over to the edge and sat next to Sakura. "Are you ok Sakura-chan? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong Naruto. I just want to be alone right now." She answered in a monotonic voice.

"Oh come on Sakura-chan! I know you! Something is bothering you and I won't rest until I figure it out! Like I always say, turn that frown upside down!" he cheered, giving her two thumbs up.

She merely closed her eyes in consternation. She loved Naruto. He was like the brother she never had. But right now she wanted nothing more than to strangle him for his cheerfulness. Before she could say anything to him however, she felt another presence join them on the roof. Without looking up she immediately knew who it was.

"Sakura." A deep voice said.

"Gaara! Something's wrong with Sakura-chan! Usually by now she's punched me! Fix her!" the blonde man yelled, pointing to his friend.

At this she got to her feet. "I'm not some doll that you can just glue back together when something is wrong Naruto! I'm a person! And right now, all I want is to be alone! Is that too much to ask?" she shouted, glaring at him.

Gaara seemed to understand on a far deeper level than Naruto could. The redhead's eyes moved from Naruto back to Sakura, and all he did was hold out his hand for her. She went to his side automatically and placed her hand in his. Naruto blinked, confusion written all over his face.

"Sakura-chan, I thought you said you wanted to be alone?" Naruto asked dumbly.

The Kazekage pulled her closer, setting his free hand on the small of her back. "She does." And with those final words the sand picked up, blurring Naruto's vision. When it settled, the two were gone.

* * *

When they reappeared, they were in the living room of the redhead's home. Gaara led Sakura to the couch and let her sit, "I'll get you something to drink." He said simply, disappearing into the kitchen. When he came back he had the strawberry drink she seemed to be in love with and a bowl of grapes. He set the food and drink on the small table, and took a seat next to her. "Would you like me to get you anything else?"

She merely shook her head negatively, not even bothering to touch what he had brought her. She felt so numb, that she doubted she would be able to move, even if she tried.

Seeing that she wouldn't make an attempt to eat or drink anything, the redhead did the only other thing he could think of. He picked up the motionless kunoichi bridal style, and carried her to her room. Laying her down in her bed, he pulled the covers over her body. "Goodnight Sakura." And with that, he left her to her dreams.

* * *

_She was back at the hospital in the operation room. Looking down, she could see the young genin boy that struggling to stay alive. His eyes made contact with hers, and she saw the light slowly fade from his blue depths. Even knowing that he was dead, she immediately began to try and bring him back, but to no avail._

_Knowing that she was reliving the events from earlier, her dream-self broke down and began to cry._

She woke up to the sounds of screams, and realized that they were coming from her. She stopped, looking around to see that she was back in her room. She didn't remember how she had gotten there, but she vaguely remembered feeling safe. Recalling her dream, she immediately broke down and began to cry, curling into a ball.

Her door was thrown open suddenly, and a distressed Gaara ran into her room. "What's wrong?"

She didn't know how to respond, so she continued to cry. Gaara was immediately by her side, taking a seat on the bed. "Sakura? What is it?" He asked once more, trying to calm her down. The only answer she gave was more sobs. He pulled her closer to him, not really knowing how to handle this very delicate situation. Maybe she had had another frightening dream and that was causing her duress. She probably did not want to be alone again.

Gaara slid his arm under her legs and lifted her into his arms once more. He made his way back to his room, closing the door with his foot, and then placed Sakura on the bed. He noticed she still had her shoes on and thought it might be best to make her more comfortable. He kneeled down and slipped off her boots and tossed them aside. He focused on her attire next and sighed, "I promise Sakura, I'm not doing anything inappropriate." He assured her, unbuckling her tan skirt. She had shorts on underneath, so he assumed it would be alright. Once the skirt was removed, he got in on his own side and moved closer to her.

"Sakura. Can you not tell me what has you so troubled?" He pulled her closer to him and her head fell onto his shoulder.

She sniffled. Well, he would find out sooner or later, so she might as well be the one to tell him. Sighing, she began to tell him everything. How a group of young genin had come into the hospital after just returning from their first mission. How one of them, a young boy, had been fatally injured saving a teammate, and how she couldn't prevent his death. Finishing, her tears picked back up again. "It's all my fault that he died. I couldn't save him, and now everyone will think that I did it on purpose, just because I'm from a different village." Looking into his eyes with her red rimmed ones, she asked in a quivering voice, "Are you mad?"

"Of course I'm not mad." He told her, pulling her even closer, so that she was almost in his lap. Face to face, he stared into her tear filled eyes, "Sakura, you aren't a god. You cannot save everyone. People die. So is the life of a shinobi." He explained leaning forward so their foreheads were pressed together. "Please do not let this trouble you so. I know you did the best that you could." Gaara moved his hand up and brushed some of her hair behind her ear.

She gave a shaky sigh. "I know. But it still hurts." She placed her head on his shoulder once more, content to just sit there in silence. Nuzzling his neck slightly, she murmured a soft "Thank you", and fell into a deep slumber.

Gaara remained still, left in another situation where he had no idea what to do. He knew she had fallen asleep, probably from the crying and the stress that she had carried around all day. Carefully, he laid her beside him, letting her stay in his bed for the night. If she woke up screaming again then at least he would be there to comfort her. "Goodnight. Again," he whispered, pulling his sheets up and laying down beside her. He closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep.

He fell asleep faster than expected, but he hadn't expected to be plagued with his nightmare.

_It was that same, black abyss. Gaara looked around, already knowing what was coming. He would fall, as he always did in this hell. But what had he heard last time? It was something incoherent, a mumbling of some sort._

_Just like the times before, he took a step forward, shattering the dark ground. The only thing he felt was the air beating against his falling body. "No!" Gaara yelled, reaching up for something to hold but there was nothing but darkness._

"_NO!" he yelled again, trying to reach further. _

"_GAARA!" a light voice cried out. And then everything went black._


	10. Announcement

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Ten_

-Operation Day Six: Announcement-

_Once again, she was walking down the streets of Suna. She barely registered the looks that she was receiving from the villagers, instead deciding to focus on the man holding her hand. She marveled in the warmth radiating from his palm._

_Then she remembered that this was the same dream she had had before. Knowing that she was about to wake up, she brought her gaze upwards, but was only able to see his lean shoulder, before the image washed away, and she was left with darkness._

Sakura awoke with a start, hating the way that cursed dream made her feel. But instead of feeling cold, as she had the previous time, she felt really warm. She gazed into Gaara's sleeping face and sighed in contentment.

Mind still fogged with sleep, she shifted slightly, and froze at the feel of the soft sheets. She recognized the way they felt. Instantly realizing whose bed she was in, her mind was bombarded with thoughts of what had happened last night.

Oh God. Did they…? Not even finishing the thought, she immediately lifted up the sheets, only to give a relieved sigh. They were both dressed. She snuggled back into the covers, and scooted closer to the source of warmth that was next to her. She froze again, and trailed her eyes up the figure that wasn't even half a foot away, landing on the slumbering face of Gaara.

She instantly jerked away from him, screaming. Not realizing how close to the edge of bed she actually was, she fell off, sheets tangled around her legs. As Sakura dragged the sheets off the bed Gaara jolted awake, and looked around, alert. "What's happening?" he demanded, his sand flowing through the air, agitated and ready to attack.

Sakura sat up in the mess of sheets, wrapped around her various body parts. "What is going on?" she asked. "Why am I in your bed?"

Gaara leaned over to look at her, an annoyed expression coming across his face. "What do you mean? You were depressed, so I brought you in here, and you fell asleep. What was I supposed to do?"

"I dunno!" she huffed and crossed her arms stubbornly. "You could've slept in another room! Or on the couch downstairs!"

"Excuse me?" he glared. "This is _my_ bed. I sleep here no matter what. It was you who decided to fall asleep in my arms."

His words made a dark blush spread across her face. "I-in your…arms? Really?" she covered her face as her blush became even redder. "Oh God. This is so embarrassing!" Jerking her arms down, she looked back at Gaara. "I'm sorry. It seems I'm always causing you trouble of some sort." She began an attempt at untangling her legs from the mass of sheets. Having no success, she gave the redhead a pleading look. "Will you help me? I don't want to tear them."

With a sigh he got down from the bed and kneeled beside her, working the sheets from their tangles. "Sakura, you don't cause me trouble. I don't mind taking care of you when you need to be taken care of." He said simply, freeing her legs from the trap. Once her body was free from the silk, he tossed the sheets back onto his bed and helped her to her feet.

"I just don't like when you freak out about it later," he chuckled, giving her a small smile to reassure her.

She couldn't help but return his contagious smile. "Well, maybe if you went about helping me in more orthodox ways, I wouldn't have to freak out about it later." Stretching she gave him a mischievous glance.

"Well if you want me to stop then I will." He avowed, moving away from her. She crossed her arms, face forming into a pout.

"Now don't go putting words in my mouth Gaara. That's not what I meant and you know it." Walking up beside him she peered into the jade depths of his eyes, the humor still present in hers. "So….do you still feel like taking care of me and making some breakfast? I'm starving."

Gaara looked back at her and sighed, "Of course. As long as you require my assistance and presence, I will gladly be here for you." He told her, and the two went down the steps. They went into the kitchen and Sakura picked a chair to sit in as she watched Gaara work around the stove, preparing their breakfast. She looked down at herself, and it finally dawned on her that all she was wearing only her tight shorts and shirt. Another blush spread across her face as she tried to inconspicuously cover her un-showing self with the hem of her shirt.

Without even turning around Gaara let out a laugh, "Sakura, I can assure you that you do not look indecent, so stop worrying. I was simply trying to make you more comfortable last night." He placed some meat into the frying pans and a loud sizzling filled the room.

She immediately stopped fidgeting with her clothes and sat up straight, like a child caught breaking the rules. "Who said I was worrying? I'm not worrying about anything." She began to laugh awkwardly, and, wanting to save face before she did anything else embarrassing, she stood up and announced, "I'm going to go get a shower." And hastily dashed back up the stairs.

"Hurry up," he told her as she walked out of the kitchen. "It'll be ready in about ten minutes." When she was gone Gaara felt another presence join him in the kitchen. "What do you want Temari?" the redhead sighed, continuing his cooking without sparing her a second glance.

"Hello baby brother," Temari said happily, walking over to the counter and lifting herself up to sit on it. "I've got some big news from the elders to deliver." She leaned against the cabinets and looked over at the delicious meal that was being prepared.

"What?"

Temari took out a piece of parchment and waved it in Gaara's face. "Here you go. It's a banquet that you _must _attend. And…read the bottom." She couldn't stop the evil smirk from forming on her face. Gaara skimmed through the words and focused on the bottom of the announcement.

"You must have…an accompaniment. What? Why is that mandatory?" he practically yelled, growling and trying to focus on cooking.

"Hey! You know who you should take? You should go with Sakura. You like her, and she's the only one you're comfortable around. I'm sure she'd love to attend a formal political party. And I can get her the most beautiful dress, to make up for yesterday." She squealed and hopped off the counter. Gaara looked as if he were considering the thought. If he did have to go with anyone, she was the only he would actually want to be with.

"Fine." He agreed.

Temari twirled around and took a seat at the table. Gaara gave her a look, but her only reply was sticking her tongue out at him. "Breakfast please baby brother." She smiled and leaned back in the chair. Gaara rolled his eyes and tossed another sausage in.

By the time Gaara was finished cooking Sakura had rejoined them in the kitchen, her hair still wet from her shower. "Hello Temari," she smiled and waved, taking a seat next to her. "I didn't know you were coming over for breakfast."

"I was just coming over to tell Gaara about the Suna banquet that he must attend." The blonde woman said, the pleased smile still on her face.

"Oh? When?" Sakura blinked as Gaara set her plate in front of her and practically threw Temari's at her.

Temari picked up a fork and dug into the steaming waffles. "It's in two days."

The date made Sakura have a revelation, "Wow! What a coincidence, that's my twentieth birthday." This seemed to spark Gaara's interest. He hadn't really considered Sakura's birthday. Of course, he knew she had one, but he never knew it was so soon.

"Oh that's right. I totally forgot about that," Temari laughed. "What an awful friend I am to have forgotten my own best friend's birthday."

"I didn't know it was your birthday." Gaara inputted, focusing back on his breakfast.

"Eh, it's not something I like to broadcast. It's not that I have a problem getting older, but I don't want people to randomly sing to me or anything. It's annoying." She began to cut her waffles, making sure that she didn't break the plate this time.

"Well anyways, Sakura, Gaara has to bring a date to the banquet." Temari blurted out, making Gaara spit out his water onto the table.

Gaara wiped his mouth with his hand and coughed from some of the water going down the wrong pipe. "What she _means_ is that I need an accompaniment and I was wondering if you would like to go…with me?"

At the moment she had waffles in her mouth and was happily chewing away. When she heard Gaara ask her to go with him to the occasion, she paused mid-chew, and unknowingly, wound up looking like a chipmunk caught with its cheeks full.

Temari began to roar with laughter. "Oh gosh, I think I've done enough here. I'll tell the council members you're coming and who with, just so they're informed. See you guys later." She said as she left the mansion.

Gaara turned his head from the direction of the door and back to Sakura, who still looked like a chipmunk. Was she ever going to answer him?

Sakura sat there, wide eyed. What to do, what to do? This was so sudden, she didn't know how to respond. But she saw the look of uncertainty and impatience on Gaara's face, so shoving some of the food in her mouth aside, she said, "I would lub to go wid you."

"What?"

She swallowed quickly and nodded, hoping the blush on her face wasn't as bad as she thought. "Yes, yes! I would love to." She blurted out, and then stuffed more of her waffle in her mouth so she wouldn't say anything else stupid.

Gaara nodded then and continued to eat his own breakfast in silence. Though he could do little to quail his now churning stomach. He wouldn't admit it, but he was…happy.

When they finished breakfast, Gaara got up to leave for work, and was surprised to see that Sakura had followed him. "Sakura, you can take the day off if you want to. Nobody expects you to go to work after what happened yesterday."

She gave him a fierce look, determination flashing in her emerald eyes. "And that's exactly why I'm going. Besides, I have a feeling that Yoko has a need to be put back in her place."

The redhead simply smirked. "Oh I have a feeling that something similar to that happened to her yesterday."

She gave him a curious look. "What did you do?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Looking up to see that they had already arrived at the hospital, he turned and said, "I'll see you at five." He waved and walked off in the direction of the Kazekage tower.

Sakura waved in return, before turning towards the large building. When she entered the hospital, she was met with the domineering form of none other than Yoko. "So, the failure returns. Tell me, who are you going to let die today?" the brunette asked, sneering at her.

She simply ignored the jab and smiled at the older woman. "Is that what you think?" She pointed a finger at her chest. "I did everything I could for that boy and you know it Yoko. On top of that, I healed everyone else on the team. Where were _you_ when all this was happening? Oh that's right, you fainted at the sight of his wounds. At least _I _tried to help him."

She walked over to the front desk and grabbed a stack of files. Flipping through them she said, "Now if you don't mind, some people actually have work to do around here. I want to get as much done as possible before Gaara takes me to the banquet in a few days."

The other medic sputtered at her statement. "You mean…Kazekage-sama asked _you_ to go with him?"

She looked at Yoko as if she were dumb. "Of course he asked me. Who else would he ask? Some cougar that is completely useless at her job? No, Gaara has much more class than that." Then she walked away, not wanting to hear Yoko's squeaky voice for the rest of the day.

The rest of her shift was pretty uneventful. The nurses had given her their condolences, and she accepted them as gracefully as she could. She spoke with the deceased boy's parents, who were surprisingly very understanding, and grateful to her for trying so hard to save their son.

When the clock struck five, she made her way to the lobby, eager to see Gaara. She paused in the doorway and tried to stifle a laugh. It seemed Yoko didn't believe her about the banquet, and had gone to Gaara for confirmation. Currently she was grasping his arm, completely oblivious of the murderous intent being sent her way.

"Gaara-sama! Is it true that you're taking that foreigner to the banquet? Wouldn't it be better to take a native? Someone who knows about Suna's traditions and beliefs?" she whined, giving him a pleading look.

Gaara's disgusted look only intensified. He wrenched his arm from the woman and glared hatefully at her. "Woman! I am tired of you invading my personal space. And yes I am taking _Sakura_. How about you say her name for once, since she _is _your superior at the moment."

Yoko looked like she was about to burst into tears. "Well, if you have a problem with the way I invade your personal space, I can make it more enjoyable for you." In a daring move, the brunette leaned towards his face.

Having seen enough, Sakura stomped into the lobby and wrenched Yoko away from the redhead, saving him from the near fatal contact of Yoko's dry, pasty lips. Pulling the ex-head medic towards her by the collar of her uniform, she seethed. "Don't you ever think of touching _my_ Kazekage _ever_ again. If I so much as hear of you attempting to get close to Gaara, I will send you through the nearest wall. Is that clear, _native_?" Without waiting for a response, Sakura tossed the woman out of the way, before escorting Gaara out of the hospital. "Come on Gaara let's go! We are supposed to meet the gang for dinner, and we don't want to be late!"

"Well that was interesting." Gaara laughed as he looked down at Sakura.

"Yes, well," she gave the redhead a mischievous smile. "Don't worry Gaara, I will protect you from any and all cougars."

"Is that so? It's good to know that I need protecting," he teased a bit, poking her arm. "So we have to go out to dinner with those morons again?"

She punched him in the arm playfully. "Yes, we have to go to dinner with those morons. Besides, it's good for you to be seen in public, socially interacting with other people. It shows everybody that you're semi-normal." She finished with a grin.

"But…I hate them…" he frowned, letting out a deep sigh. Sakura led him to a very nice restaurant, which was at least a five star one. "Really?" he looked over at Sakura with skepticism. "We're going to dinner with two of the most destructive people in the world, and you pick _this_ place? You do realize Naruto will get us kicked out in about fifteen minutes."

"Try to have a little faith in him. He promised he would behave. And I know he will, because I told him too shortly after the Kiba incident." She assured him, smirking.

"I see, well then I have faith in him as well," he laughed and held the door open for her. The two walked in and looked around the nice place to find their friends sitting at a large dinner set up on the other side of the room. The only two seats that were available were across from one another, so Gaara sat beside Naruto, and Sakura took a seat beside Ino, flashing a smile.

"Sorry we're late. I had to deal with some…issues…at the hospital." Sakura told the group, trying to give Kiba a reassuring look that she was no longer angry with him.

Naruto laughed and nudged Gaara, "So how was your day? Get all your work done? I did my best to avoid disturbing you."

"Yes actually, I had a very productive day, thank you." Gaara replied, giving the waiter his drink order.

Since the waiter this time was a boy, and a gentleman, he had asked for the ladies' drinks first. Sakura was relieved that she wouldn't have to deal with another waiter like Kiki. After everything that had happened that day with Yoko, she didn't think she'd be able to restrain herself to just verbal jabs.

The group sat and talked amiably for a while, until their food was placed on the table. Sakura's mouth began to water at the steaming pile of spaghetti in front of her. She waited politely for everyone else to get their food, and then dug in.

Ino and Hinata pulled apart their odd dish they had decided to split. It was most certainly a native Suna delicacy, with odd things of all sorts in it. But the two seemed to enjoy it very much. Kiba and Naruto, being 'men', had to order the biggest and most expensive steaks at the restaurant. Temari stuck with a simple salad, enjoying the crisp leaves.

The waiter set a lovely bowl of soup in front of Gaara, giving his Kazekage a friendly smile. Temari swallowed her bite and perked up, "So everyone, did you hear? Gaara is taking Sakura to the upcoming banquet."

Once again, Gaara had been drinking at the wrong time, and spit out his beverage, covering the table, and causing a bit of a scene.

"There's going to be a banquet? Can we go?" Ino piped up.

"Of course, of course. You can all come, provided you bring a date." Temari informed them.

Naruto simply gave Gaara a suggestive look. "So…you asked Sakura-chan out on a date?"

"It's not a date." Gaara snapped back at his blonde friend.

"Sounds like a date to me," Kiba snickered.

With all this talk Sakura could feel her cheeks begin to heat up. Gaara glared at the other two males with him, "It's not a date, it's mandatory, so I just asked Sakura. That's all." He crossed his arms stubbornly and looked off at the other customers.

"So what you're saying is, you only asked her because you had to?" Hinata asked, hoping the redhead would see the error in his statement. Apparently not.

"Correct." He replied.

By now Sakura was beet red, not from embarrassment, but from rage. So he didn't really want to go with her? He had only asked her because she was there, a _convenient_ option? Now she was boiling. She would show him. Getting a large spoonful of spaghetti, and making sure that there was plenty of sauce on the spoon as well, she flung it at the unsuspecting Kazekage's face.

SPLAT!

Yup, she thought with a pleased grin, she had hit her mark.

Everyone at the table went wide eyed, not eve daring to breathe. What Sakura had just done seemed surreal. Gaara reached for his napkin and slowly wiped the sauce off his face, only to reveal a murderous glare focused on the pink haired woman. He reached up and pulled out the strings of spaghetti still stuck in his hair. "What the HELL was that for?" he yelled across the table. Naruto's eyes were like saucers and he slowly began to sink beneath the table.

She gave him a smug look. "Oh I'm sorry. It's no big deal or anything. I only did it because I _had _to." She said, repeating his words back to him.

Gaara felt his eye twitch. He could still feel the sauce in his hair. "If you all will excuse me for a moment." He said sharply, throwing his napkin down and rising slowly from his seat. He moved around the table quickly, heading towards the bathroom. As he was behind Sakura, he noticed a large pitcher of water on a waiter's forgotten tray. He glanced down at the pink haired devil, who was still staring away from him smugly. He grabbed the pitcher from the tray and dumped the water all over Sakura, the ice cubes sliding down her shirt and along her spine. "Oops, sorry. I guess the sauce in my eye made me bump into the waiter." He retaliated, daring her to do more. Gaara picked up her napkin and dipped it in her water, cleaning off the rest of the mess on his head.

Hinata mimicked Naruto's action of ducking under that table. She could feel the anger radiating off her friend. Sakura's eye began to twitch. She turned around slowly, and glared at Gaara. "You will regret that." She muttered. Fast as lightning she was out of her seat and attempting to strangle Gaara with the napkin he had taken from her.

"You psychotic woman! How dare you try and strangle me!" Gaara held Sakura at an arms distance, keeping her at bay. She reached for him, still trying to wrap the cloth around his neck and pull as hard as she could.

"You're you calling psychotic? You bi-polar manic depressant!" she screamed at him, attempting to scratch at his face, but to no avail. All Gaara could do was hold her back and glare at her.

The waiter ran to the back in a mad dash, scrambling around all the other tables. But all the attention of the other diners was on the fighting pair. The people in the restaurant were shocked to see their Kazekage behaving so childishly with the woman from Konoha. The manager of the establishment ran from the back and confronted Gaara and Sakura boldly. "EXCUSE ME!" he yelled, making the two stop and look at him, still in the same odd position.

"I'm _sorry_ Kazekage-sama! But you and your…your…whatever Sakura-sama is to you, I don't know and frankly everyone, and I do mean everyone, would like to know what you two are. But aside from that! You two are causing a scene, and I am going to have to ask you both to leave!" the manager nodded and crossed his arms, trying to stand his ground to the two.

Said kunoichi merely raised a brow at the manager. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

The man brushed her questions off. "I believe I was not talking to you woman."

Gaara transferred his glare to the manager. "What did you just say to her? You do _not_ speak that way to Sakura."

"That's right!" Sakura nodded, "Tell him Gaara!" she yelled.

He turned to her. "Shut up woman! I have this handled."

She raised a brow at him. "Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said." As he finished that sentence, Sakura renewed her efforts in strangling the redhead. Only this time, she leapt onto his side and wound her legs around his waist.

"You wanna try saying that again?" she asked, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Gaara moved toward the wall that was half a mirror, to make the restaurant seem larger. He thrust her against the wall, shattering the glass and making her release him. When she let go, she fell onto a nearby table occupied by an innocent couple. Their dishes fell to the ground with a crash, and Gaara jumped onto the table, reaching down to grab Sakura. She kicked her feet up and caught his stomach, rolling back and throwing him off into the adjacent wall. She stood on the table and glared after him. "How _dare_ you smash me into a wall you jerk!" she screamed at him.

Gaara grabbed onto a chair and helped himself up, mimicking Sakura's action. "You're insane Sakura!"

The manager was in tears by Ino, unable to do anything about the destruction of his restaurant. "Why me…?" he cried out.

Temari took pity on the poor man, and decided to intervene. She drew her fan, which she never traveled without, and caused a huge gust of wind to go towards the couple. The force of the wind caused them to pause in their yelling, and look at the wind master.

"If you two don't stop acting like a bunch of children right now, I will personally see to it that you are treated like a child from now on! Now get out of this restaurant before you cause any more damage! You can finish this little lover's spat outside!" And with that, she waved her fan once more, causing them to go flying out of the establishment before they could protest.

Landing on top of Gaara, who had hit the ground before her, Sakura let out a pained grunt. She rolled off of him and stood up immediately, wanting to be prepared. Gaara did the same as well, and they just stared at each other, as if they were having a battle of wills. Taking in each other's appearance, Sakura noted that Gaara's clothes and hair were mussed, and that he had blood dripping from his head and down his face. She on the other hand had blood dripping down the arm that had hit the mirror, her clothes were still soaked, and her hair was sticking up in every direction.

She could see his gaze shift from her eyes to her arm, and his expression softened instantly. He dropped his stance and almost looked pained. "Sakura…I'm…I'm sorry." He attempted to move forward and reach out for her.

"Don't! Don't touch me," she glared, moving away from him. She couldn't even explain how hurt she felt, emotionally and physically. Not thinking straight, she uttered something she immediately regretted. "Just go away."

The hurt look that flashed across Gaara's face was instantaneous. His features hardened back into his normal facade, "Fine," he breathed out. The sand from the ground picked up as if a gust had just swept through. Sakura went wide eyed and reached out to try and stop him from leaving, but she grabbed air.

He had disappeared, just like he always did, but this time she didn't blame him. She could feel the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, and knew that it was all her fault.

* * *

She didn't even bother to look for him, knowing that he would come home eventually, like always. So she quickly got a shower and healed her arm, her guilt only increasing, because she had hurt him as well, and she didn't even know if he had a concussion or not.

How could she say that to Gaara? After all the preaching she'd done to everyone else about how sensitive he was, she went and made herself a hypocrite. She knew that he would take it the wrong way and actually listen to her for once. She knew that he would be hurt by what she had said. What she didn't know, was if he would ever talk to her again.

She went into the kitchen and began to look for something to cook. Then she remembered that they still had the cake, and the brownies, and everything else she had made stored away. So she took out the chocolate cake and a fork and went to town. She didn't get to finish her dinner anyways, and the way she thought of it, if she couldn't bake her worries away, she would eat them away.

As she ate the cake she replayed the night's events in her mind, specifically what Gaara had said to her before vanishing. He had said he was sorry. That was all she had wanted from him since the beginning. An apology about what he'd said of only asking her to go to the banquet with him as a means of convenience. And when she had finally gotten what she wanted, she was ungrateful. No wonder Sasuke had never liked her. She was selfish and mean, and completely undeserving of having such a wonderful friend in Gaara. Her last thoughts, as she drifted off to sleep later that night in front of a half eaten cake, were of all the nice things that Gaara had done for her since she arrived in Suna, and how she didn't deserve him.


	11. Kiba and Ino

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Eleven _

-Operation Day Seven: Kiba and Ino-

Ino sat up from her bed and attempted to rub the sleepiness from her eyes. What a long night it had been. She stretched her arms up into the air, cracking her back. The blonde looked over to the bed beside hers, where Hinata was still fast asleep. She pushed the covers back and swung her legs over the edge, getting up and allowing for another stretch. As quietly as possible, Ino made her way to the bathroom. Once inside, she closed the door and turned on the shower. Pulling her clothes off and stepping into the hot water was just what she needed to become fully awake. "I wonder if Gaara and Sakura made up last night, they looked like they were going to murder each other."

Ino grabbed a hold of her hair wash and started working it through her golden locks. The more she thought about last night the weirder it got. Ino didn't understand how Sakura could stand being around Gaara if he made her so angry. Then again, Gaara was a man, a very emotionally challenged man, who said the wrong things. She still found it hard to believe that Sakura had actually hit him in the face with food. "Only Sakura would be so brave as to throw spaghetti in the Kazekage's face." she shook her head in wonder.

She started washing the suds from her hair and letting the water clean her body, rinsing away all the sand and sweat. She didn't know how people here lived, it was _so_ hot. All the time! Ino turned the nozzle of the shower to off and stepped out, wrapping a towel tightly around her body. "I'll make sure I stop by the hospital to see if Sakura is okay." She nodded and dried herself off. She left the bathroom and found her bag, pulling out some fresh clothes and dressing quickly before Hinata had to wake up to a nude roommate.

After she was finished dressing, Ino took a brush and ran it through her luxurious hair. Finally pulling it into her hair tie, with just the right amount of bangs covering her eye, she went to the door and slipped on her ninja shoes. The blonde made her way to the hotel lobby and waved to the receptionist as she left.

"Alright hospital, hospital." She said to herself, looking around the large area and seeing the top of the large building in the distance. "Hospital!" she confirmed and headed off in that direction. Once she reached the hospital, she pushed in the glass doors and looked around the lobby that was only occupied by a few people. She walked over to the front desk to ask if Sakura was here, but it was vacant.

Ino peeked down the hallway and saw an older woman with dark brown hair issuing orders to a few of the younger nurses. Assuming this woman would have some information, Ino confronted her. "Excuse me! Miss?" she called approaching the woman who focused her brown gaze on the blonde.

"My name is Yoko, young lady. I am the head of the hospital." She informed her. Ino blinked, confusion written all over her face.

"I thought Sakura was the head of the hospital while she was here…"

"When Sakura-_sama_ is not here I am in charge, now what do you want?" Yoko glared hatefully, obviously having issues with showing Sakura superiority.

"Actually, I was looking for Sakura, but it seems like she isn't here. Have you seen her today at all?" Ino asked innocently enough.

The glare Yoko had focused on the Konoha ninja intensified. "No, I don't know. She hasn't come in at all. Why don't you ask Kazekage-sama? He probably knows, since that stupid foreign whore is probably fucking him."

Ino raised her hand and there was a loud smack as her palm connected with the other woman's face. "How dare you!" Ino yelled, throwing Yoko a glare of her own. "How. Dare. You. Sakura is _not_ doing that with Gaara-sama! How rude of you to think that about her! Even your own Kazekage! Get a grip lady, it's obvious. Stop playing cougar and go after someone your own age." With that said, Ino turned away from the stunned nurse and stormed out of the hospital.

"Good grief! Gross! An old lady has a thing for Gaara! Ew." She shook her head and scanned the area around her. At least she did get one good piece of information from that psycho nurse. Gaara probably did know where Sakura was, they were _always _together nowadays. Ino pushed some chakra to her feet and jumped up, landing on the roof of a nearby building. She looked around and then spotted the Kazekage tower. "Just find Gaara and I'll find Sakura." She nodded and started a run to jump to the next rooftop.

Once she arrived at the tower she walked in and went straight to the front desk. A young woman sat there working vigorously. "Excuse me," Ino said as she stopped at the desk.

"Yes? How can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Is the Kazekage in yet?"

The receptionist shook her head and sighed, "I haven't seen him all morning, but that doesn't necessarily mean he isn't in his office. If you would like, you can go check and see if he's in there. It's the third floor."

"Yes, thank you." Ino nodded, the woman gestured for Ino to take the stairs. With that, the blond waved. She started up the stairs, taking two at a time to increase her speed. Once she reached the third floor she slowed her pace, and walked down the hall, trying to find Gaara's office. There was a set of double doors at the end of the hall with the mark of the Kazekage engraved upon them. It was a safe guess. She stopped in front of the large doors and knocked loudly, but no answer came. She knocked again, and received the same response. Cautiously, she grabbed the doorknob and went in to find it empty. "What in the world?" she asked herself, groaning in annoyance. This was getting weird. Well, if they weren't at the hospital and they weren't at the Kazekage tower, they must still be at home. With new determination Ino hurried back down the stairs and rushed out the doors, just to slam into a hard body. She fell back and stumbled, quickly regaining her balance. "I'm so sorry," she began to say as she looked up to see the person she ran into.

Kiba waved at her with a big grin. "Hey Ino! What's the hurry? You okay? You should definitely watch where you're going, you know?" he bombarded her with his incessant talking.

"Hello Kiba," she finally smiled back.

"What's up? You seem in a hurry." He said.

"Not really," she sighed looking around once more to try and find the Kazekage's house. "I've just been looking for Sakura all morning, and I can't find her anywhere. So I was going to Gaara's house to see if she was still there. Which she must be, because she's not anywhere else." The blonde explained, already feeling the heat of the day taking its toll on her. "But I don't know where the Kazekage's mansion is."

"I know where it is." Kiba blurted out and grinned. "I'll take you there if you want."

"Oh would you?" Ino smiled, happy she had run into him now.

"Sure thing," he nodded and started walking down one of the streets. Ino followed him, looking around at the odd buildings in Suna.

"This place is so weird, don't you think?" she commented.

Kiba shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I kinda like it. Something about this desert weather is really awesome, and Akamaru loves all the open space to run."

Ino rolled her eyes, but laughed nonetheless. "It's too dry here for my skin, I would just die."

Someone landed swiftly in front of them, making the two come to a halt. Temari straightened up and looked at the pair for a while, "Have either of you seen my brother? I can't find him anywhere. His chakra is completely gone." Her strong expression turned to that of a worried sister. Both Kiba and Ino shook their heads.

"I haven't seen him, he's not at the Kazekage tower," Ino spoke up, though something seemed wrong about this whole situation. She really needed to find Sakura.

"I haven't either," Kiba sighed. "If I see him, I'll make sure to tell him you're lookin' for him though." He tried to give Temari a smile, but she was already gone. "Well that was weird," he said simply, looking at Ino. They continued walking down the street until they reached the largest house in the village. "Here you go, the Kazekage mansion."

Ino looked up and walked up to the large decorative doors. She raised her fist to the door and pounded away. "Sakura! Sakura get your big forehead out here!" the blonde smiled brightly, knowing the insult would set her friend on fire. They waited in silence, until finally the door began to crack open. Sakura stared out at the two, her eyes dull, "Gaara?" was all she muttered out, taking a turn to look at each of the beings at her door.

Ino's brow furrowed, confused by the other woman's demeanor. "No Sakura, its Ino, your best friend."

The door slammed shut then, the sound of a lock sliding in place following shortly after. Ino blinked and looked over at Kiba. "What on earth?" she asked, turning her gaze back to the door.

Kiba gave a small yawn and put his hands behind his head, "Well she seemed…lively."

"I wonder what's wrong. Sakura looked…I haven't seen her look like that since…since Sasuke left." Realization dawned upon the blonde then. "Oh my God! Gaara left!" she concluded, turning back to face the brunette.

Kiba huffed and shook his head, beginning to walk off with Ino trailing close behind. "There are two things wrong with that theory, hot stuff." He smirked at the blush that washed over Ino's cheeks. "One," he initiated, holding a finger up. "Why would Gaara leave _his_ house? Wouldn't he make Sakura leave if they had gotten in a fight?"

Ino contemplated the thought. But something was still off about it. Kiba held up a second finger, "Two. Gaara and Sakura never let their fights last this long. Obviously. Sakura's probably just pms-ing right now."

Ino hit Kiba over the head as hard as she could, getting a loud yell from the dog boy. "What was _that_ for?" he whined.

"She is _not_ pms-ing Kiba! I know my best friend, and there is something seriously wrong with her. Temari is out looking for her brother, don't you think it's weird that the_ Kazekage_ is missing?" she yelled, stopping the middle of the street and setting her hands on her hips.

Kiba came to a halt as well, and stared down at her, trying his best to behave, and not say anything stupid. "I don't know Ino, but why would Gaara leave?"

"I don't know!" she puffed, her brows furrowing into a scowl. "I just want to take my mind off of this."

"Well…I found this greenhouse…we could go and look at the flowers." Kiba suggested. Ino's face lightened up at the mention of her favorite things.

"Wow Kiba, that's actually…a really sweet idea." She gave him a heart-filled smile, and latched onto his arm. "Lead the way."

Kiba led Ino around Suna, taking in all the odd beauty of the place. They were near the edge of the village when Ino spotted the greenhouses. "Oh look! There they are!" she squealed excitedly, dragging Kiba forward with all her strength.

Ino pushed the doors open and gasped when she saw the contents of the large shed. "It's…beautiful." She managed out, mouth agape. They were surrounded by the most colorful plants she had even seen. The flowers had odd shapes, most likely to accommodate to the desert life. But there were flowers she had in her store here as well. "Oh wow!" the florist ran forward, eyeing a large and blooming bush of pink and white. "These are desert roses, I've never seen so many before! These are almost impossible to grow in Konoha." She explained, looking back at Kiba, who was making his way over towards her.

"Is that so?" he wondered aloud, leaning over her to try and get a better look at the flowers. "They're really pretty."

"They're exquisite." She breathed, gently touching the petals of one.

Kiba looked from the flowers to the girl in front of him. "You know which one is my favorite?" the brunette asked, knowing this would spark the mind ninja's curiosity. Ino straightened up, turning around in a fluid movement.

"Which on-" her question was interrupted by Kiba's lips pressing softly against her. The shock on her face soon fell as her eyes closed. She leaned into his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to pull him closer as his arms wrapped around her waist.

Once they broke for air, Ino stared up into Kiba's dark eyes. "Hey genius," she smirked, running her fingers through his hair. "I'm not a flower."

He simply laughed and leaned closer, so their lips were barely touching. "I guess I assumed you were, since your beauty was far superior.

"You're such a kiss up," the blonde giggled, giving him a peck on the lips. She could feel how red her face was, and was almost positive Kiba could feel the radiating heat.

"But you like it," he taunted, pressing his lips against hers once more.

"Yup." She mumbled, keeping her lips against his.


	12. Naruto and Hinata

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Twelve_

-Operation Day Eight: Naruto and Hinata-

Naruto had been searching the city for what felt like hours, finding no sign of Sakura, or Gaara. So, he decided to find Ino or Hinata and see if they knew where his pink haired friend was. They were girls, so they would know the whereabouts of their fellow female, since he was pretty sure they had tracking devices so that they could always find each other. It was the only logical way he could explain why they always traveled in packs, and were hardly ever alone.

Walking down the streets of Suna, he could hear the villagers whispering. It didn't really bother him, since he had gotten used to it long ago. It wasn't until he heard Sakura's name being murmured that he tuned in to what they were saying.

"Isn't he from Konoha? Maybe he knows what's happened to Sakura-sama." A woman said, looking to the man beside her.

The man nodded. "Yeah, but I heard he and Kazekage-sama are good friends. So maybe he knows where Gaara-sama is."

Becoming alarmed at the news that none of the villagers had seen either of his friends, he began to run towards the hospital. Perhaps one of the nurses there could tell him where Sakura was.

When he walked through the doors and into the lobby, his eyes lit up at the sight before him. It seemed that Hinata had had the same idea as to where to look. This was great! Now he wouldn't have to look for Sakura, because Hinata could just use her homing device thingy! He ran up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Hinata! I'm glad I found you! Do you know where-" he froze as Hinata turned towards him. Silent tears were running down her face, and her lower lip was quivering. Suddenly the girl began to try and wipe them away, embarrassed at having Naruto see her in such a state.

"Hinata….who did this?" he asked, his anger beginning to build. She merely glanced to her left and then back at him quickly. Peering behind her, he saw an old brunette woman, sneering maliciously at his friend.

"What did you say to Hinata?" he yelled at the stranger.

The woman made a sound of contempt. "I merely told her my opinion about her pink haired tramp of a friend."

He growled, his canines beginning to elongate. "What?"

The brunette simply brushed some dirt off her shoulder, as if she didn't care in the least that she had an angry jinchuuriki in the lobby. "I informed her that her friend is no better than the ladies of the evening. And that she should be careful, because being friends with someone like _that_, their habits tend to rub off on you. So when she comes crawling into a hospital pregnant and alone, I will give her no sympathy."

At this Hinata's shoulder began to quiver beneath the blonde boy's hand. He slowly released her shoulder and stalked towards the older woman. "You said _that_, about _my_ Sakura-chan, to _my_ Hinata?"

Hinata turned red at his statement, her eyes widening slightly. He thought of her as his? She gasped suddenly, as she felt the angry red chakra of the Kyuubi seep out of the blonde, causing the air pressure in the lobby to increase.

Not catching on that her life was in danger, Yoko continued, "No you have it all wrong, stupid. She is the one that I expect to be pregnant and alone. At least that pink trollop has the skills to prevent herself from getting pregnant. This one looks like she's only good for one thing and one thing only."

Naruto's rage began to boil over. Nobody accused his friends of being whores, nobody. Before she could blink, Yoko found herself pinned against the registration desk by her neck. She looked up, only to be met with fiery red eyes.

"How _dare_ you say something like that about my friends." He snarled viciously, as he slowly began to squeeze the life out of the infuriating woman beneath him. Added to the pressure of his hand was the feeling of something pricking the skin on her neck, this being due to Naruto's now claw-like fingernails. "**I'm going to **_**kill**_** you**!" He yelled, some of the Kyuubi's voice coming through and making him sound all the more menacing.

Just as he brought his other hand up to form a rasengan, Hinata's delicate one stopped him. His head whipped around to face her, ready to attack the one who dared come between him and his prey. Seeing slightly wet lavender eyes, red instantly turned to blue.

He loosened his grip on Yoko's neck, causing her to gasp for the oxygen that was denied her moments ago. Turning back to her, he pulled her close, so that her face was inches away from his. "If I ever hear you say anything like that about Sakura-chan or Hinata again, I will _kill_ you. Make no mistake of it." He paused, as if thinking about what he was going to say next. "Now apologize to Hinata." He ground out.

Scared brown met worried lavender. "I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry!"

Naruto shook her roughly, bringing her attention back to him. "You better be. If you ever make Hinata cry again, you will suffer a fate far worse than death at _my_ hands." He dropped her then, causing her to fall onto the receptionist's desk. Everyone in the lobby had stilled, watching the whole encounter.

The blonde merely grabbed Hinata's hand and dragged her out of the hospital. "You didn't have to do that Naruto-kun." The shy girl said once they were away from that place.

Naruto gave her one of his classic smiles, all traces of anger gone from his face as quickly as it had come. He liked the way her hand felt in his, and decided to hold it more often. "Of course I did Hinata-chan! You are one of my most important people!" Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him, and he decided to act on it, since they didn't happen very often. "Hey! Do you wanna go get some ramen with me? Ramen always makes me feel better when I'm upset!"

Not being able to say no to her long time love, she nodded affirmatively. His face broke out into an even bigger grin. "Great! You can be my lunch date!" He declared. Still holding her hand in his, he led the way to his favorite ramen stand in Suna, a tomato red Hinata following behind.

It didn't take long for them to reach the ramen stand, since Naruto had practically run the whole way. Once their food was delivered, a perplexed blonde looked between his bowl and Hinata's.

"Hinata-chan…what is that?" he asked, appearing somewhat hesitant.

She looked startled at his question, and then hastily replied, "It's the vegetarian ramen Naruto-kun."

He raised a brow at her. "You mean, you don't eat meat?" he asked incredulously. She was weirder than he thought. This only caused her to giggle.

"Of course I eat meat Naruto-kun! But ramen is very unhealthy, so I always get the dish with the most vegetables in it."

He smiled sheepishly, a small blush coming to his face. For some reason, it made him happy that he had been the one to cause Hinata to laugh so beautifully. Regaining his exuberance, he picked up some of his ramen with his chopsticks and held it out to her. She gave him a puzzled look.

"Here, try some of mine. It's not real ramen if you don't order it with everything on it." He said with a smile.

She blushed, and slowly leaned forward, afraid that she was dreaming. When her mouth was around his chopsticks, she knew that it was, in fact, reality. Turning a darker shade of red, she quickly sat back in her chair and ate the ramen offered to her. Her eyes widened in delight.

"This is delicious!" she exclaimed, smiling at him.

"See! I told ya! Hey, let me try some of yours!" he said, leaning forward.

Caught off guard by this, she began to feel faint. She didn't know if she could handle all this attention being bestowed upon her by the blonde male. Before she could succumb to the darkness, she shook her head. She refused to faint in front of Naruto. They were on a date, their first one in fact, and she wouldn't ruin it.

Quickly putting some ramen on her chopsticks, she held them out to the blonde, and watched as he took them into his mouth, eyes wide in awe. It was over sooner than she would have liked, but before she could think further on the topic, Naruto was speaking again.

"That's not half bad! Still not as good as my usual, but maybe if I get that every once in a while I can tell Sakura-chan that I'm eating my vegetables and not have to lie about it!" he said happily.

She stared at him for a few seconds, and then burst into laughter. Naruto smiled, although he was confused. "What's so funny Hinata-chan?"

"You sound like a child talking about his mother! I just thought it was funny, that's all." She said, trying to stifle her laughter, and failing.

He gave her a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I guess when you put it that way it does, doesn't it? But in reality, Sakura-chan is more like a sister than a mom."

Hinata froze. She had always thought that the blonde jinchuuriki had harbored different feelings for their pink haired friend, and that that was why he hadn't ever spoken to her about her confession to him a while back. But this new knowledge made her happy, and so she turned her attention back to her food, a small smile on her face the entire time.

Once they finished their lunch, they began to wander aimlessly around the city. Naruto would make lame jokes every now and then, trying to get Hinata to laugh once more. After he had said something particularly funny, they both broke out into laughter. That was when Naruto heard the whispers.

"How can they be so happy when our Kazekage is missing? At the fault of one of their own comrades too." Someone said.

Suddenly he remembered why he had visited the hospital in the first place. Becoming serious, he stopped in the middle of the street and looked at her, curiosity evident in his eyes. "Why did you talk to that witch anyways?"

The smile instantly left her face and she looked at the ground, ashamed that once again, she needed to be rescued. "Well, I was looking for Sakura, and thought that, since Yoko was once the head medic, she would know where I could find her. But all she did was say nasty things about Sakura, and when I told her to stop, she merely directed her comments to me."

"Yoko?" He asked, not putting two and two together.

"The witch." She muttered, her mouth lifted slightly at the corner in a smile at his name for the brunette woman.

Naruto blinked in realization. "Oh."

Hinata looked into his eyes then, perplexed. "Why where you at the hospital, Naruto-kun?"

"I was looking for you, actually! Or Ino, but I'm glad it was you, because Ino is mean. I figured one of you would know where Sakura-chan was." He told her.

"We could try checking at Gaara-sama's mansion. Maybe they both went back there after beating each other up." Hinata suggested.

He gave her an appreciative look. "Wow! You're really smart Hinata-chan! I never woulda thought of checking the mansion!" In his excitement he grabbed her hand again, dragging her in the direction of the redhead's home.

They walked up to the large oak doors slowly. The place was emanating a foreboding aura, as if nothing happy ever happened there. Naruto reached out and knocked on the door three times. Almost immediately after he pulled his hand away, the doors opened, only to reveal Sakura dressed in Gaara's clothing. She looked at him and Hinata, and then past them, into the street. Suddenly what little life left in her eyes vanished.

"Where is he? Why isn't he with you?" she asked them desperately.

Naruto gave his heart's sister a confused look. "What are you talking about Sakura-chan? Where is Gaara?" he asked.

She stared at him blankly for a few seconds. "He never came home." She said pitifully. Then the door shut in their faces, and they heard it lock. Naruto turned to Hinata, only to see sadness in her eyes.

"She must be really worried about Gaara-sama. I doubt she's eaten anything, her face was so thin." Hinata stated.

He turned and began to walk down the sidewalk, the Hyuuga heiress next to him. "Well, the only thing we can do now is go find Kakashi-sensei and tell him what happened."

"Why?" she asked.

Determination flooded into his eyes then. "So that he can send out his dogs, find Gaara, and beat him up for what he did to Sakura-chan." He said, punching his fist into his hand. He turned to her then.

"Will you come with me Hinata-chan?" he asked pleadingly.

She blushed, finally realizing that he had added the endearment onto the end of her name. Maybe pining after him wasn't so hopeless after all. "I would love to Naruto-kun."

Naruto smiled brightly and took her hand once more, before they began their search for the copy nin.


	13. Surprises

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Thirteen_

-Operation Day Nine: Surprises-

Temari couldn't believe that all her plans were slowly slipping through the cracks. All that preparation! Well, she wasn't one to sit by and let everything fall apart. The blonde stared at the mansion with nothing but determination, two bags in her hand. It was time to drag Sakura out of that house, whether she was willing or not. She fished the key to the house from her kunai holster and unlocked the door. She went inside, set the plastic bags down, noting the dust and darkness that seemed to be everywhere. "Sakura?" Temari called loudly, walking around the house once before heading up the stairs.

"Sakura!" she yelled again, stopping in front of the room she knew Sakura was staying. She raised her fist and pounded on the door at least ten times. "SAKURA! GET UP!" Temari thrust the door open and stormed in, ready to tackle the depressed pink haired girl. But the room was empty. The wind ninja glanced around and saw nothing. The bed was made, and the room was neat, almost as if it had been vacant for days.

She put her hands on her hips and let out an annoyed huff. "Where could she be?" she wondered aloud, exiting the room. She stopped in the hall and looked off to her left. Gaara's room was at the end of the hall. Her eyes narrowed as her suspicion rose. Sakura couldn't be…could she? With a daring thought Temari stalked down the hall, pushed Gaara's door open, and looked inside. "Sakura?" she asked.

What she saw almost broke her heart. Sakura was curled on the bed, holding a pillow tightly to her chest. Temari couldn't control her steaming anger. This was all Gaara's fault! How could he disappear without a word and leave Sakura to wallow in her misery? How irresponsible of the Kazekage! He had been gone for two days now, and Sakura had only gotten worse!

She walked over to the bedside and sat down beside the lifeless girl, resting her hand on her side. "Sakura please get up, remember what tonight is. We're going to the banquet."

But the girl didn't give any response, simply remaining unmoving.

"Come on Sakura, let's get you something to eat." Temari sighed, pulling her friend with her. Sakura didn't fight, but the blonde felt the dead weight as soon as they stood. After a long trial and error process of getting Sakura into the kitchen, she began setting some of Sakura's favorite foods in front of her. There was a bowl of strawberries, some bananas, and a slice of chocolate cake.

"Now Sakura you need to get some food into your little shriveled stomach. It looks like you haven't eaten since dinner three nights ago." The blonde said.

Sakura simply stared at the table, motionless. The sand shinobi moved closer to her friend and took one of the bananas from the bunch. She peeled away the protective layer and broke apart the soft fruit. "Now eat Sakura." Temari ordered, basically shoving the banana down the medic's throat. Sakura chewed slowly every now and then, swallowing a bit easier every time.

Finally, when all the fruit was gone, the blonde pushed a piece of chocolate cake in front of her, knowing that it was one of Sakura's favorite desserts. Green emeralds finally focused on the cake. Her eyes began to water, the horrible memories of the night Gaara had left coming back swiftly. Temari went wide eyed and wrapped her arms tightly around her friend.

"Gaara!" Sakura sobbed, the tears streaming down her face.

Temari pulled Sakura up and helped her back upstairs, "Sakura you really need to pull yourself together." She ordered, dragging Sakura through Gaara's room and into his bathroom. Without any shame, the blonde began pulling off Sakura's clothing, noticing that the clothes she was wearing were not hers, but Gaara's.

"Ok Sakura, you _really_ need to snap out of this, because now it's just creepy." She said, shoving Sakura into the large shower. "Now clean yourself, or will I have to do _that_ for you too?"

Sakura gave no answer, and, regrettably, Temari had to shower the pink haired woman as well. Giving her hair a thorough wash and rinse, she pulled the pink haired zombie out and wrapped a fluffy red towel around her body. "Sakura, we're going to get nice and pretty for tonight alright? Forget about Gaara and have fun with your friends. How about that? Huh? Can you smile?" the blonde asked hopefully, "for me?"

The Konoha medic didn't even look at her. She sighed and sat Sakura down on the bed. Temari dried her off and then attempted to dry her hair as well. "You sit here while I get ready." With that Temari went down stairs, picked up the two bags from the living room, and brought them back up. Sakura was still sitting motionless on the bed, with nothing but a towel over her.

Temari gave her a sad look and went into the bathroom for awhile, and when she emerged she was dressed in a long, strapless black dress. There was a slit up the left side all the way to her hip, and underneath she had thigh high black boots on tipped with lace.

She reached into the other bag and pulled out a beautiful white dress. When she saw it in the store window she knew she had to get it for her best friend. By now Sakura's hair had dried, so Temari took a brush and raked it through her pink locks. The tangles now gone, she gave it a small fix, pulled her up, and slid the dress on her friend with much difficulty. "You owe me big for this."

Sakura's dress was strapless, a straight cut across her chest. It was tight on top and then flowed freely at the base. There was one sleeve on the left side, slit all the way to where it connected with the dress, and it hung just below the shoulder. Rimming the top of the dress was a gold metal band that branched out across the left shoulder, and underneath the bust, intertwined with black stones. There was a necklace to match the intricate gold, which also branched to the left, appearing as if it was connected to the dress.

Temari pulled a golden clip from the bag and brushed Sakura's hair back, pinning half of her pink tresses up in the barrette. Once she was finished with her hair, she started on her makeup, keeping it nice and simple. The blonde stepped back and admired her work. With the exception of the lifeless look in Sakura's eyes, she was stunning.

"Alright Sakura. It's time to go," she took the girl's hand and grabbed a small black lace fan. Temari ushered her friend to the door and finally to the stairs, looking back at the pink haired beauty, she said, "You really do look beautiful."

As they descended the stairs Temari came to a halt, wide eyed and staring off into the living room. There, standing by the front door, was Gaara, in a tux, sharp and clean cut.

Suddenly, Temari's face met the wall, and she saw Sakura run past her and into her brother's arms.

Sakura wasn't really thinking about what she had done to her friend, only one thought present in her mind right now. He was _here_. Slamming her body into his, she hugged him in a fierce grip. Immediately, tears began to fall down her face. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean what I said!" she cried, praying that he would forgive her.

Gaara didn't know what to do at first, but his body seemed to move on its own, as his arms wrapped tightly around her. He pressed his face into her hair and breathed in her sweet scent. "It's alright…" he muttered, "You look…absolutely beautiful Sakura."

"Sakura! Don't ruin your makeup over that jerk!" Temari yelled from behind her.

Gaara looked up, keeping his chin on Sakura's head, and glared threateningly at her. But she wasn't afraid of him. She just rolled her eyes and huffed, crossing her arms tenaciously.

Ignoring Temari's comment, Sakura lifted her head, and examined his face. Reaching a hand up, she stroked his cheek tenderly, slowly tracing the tiredness beneath his eye with her thumb. "Please don't ever leave me again." She begged, giving him a searching look.

He let his forehead rest against hers, "I promise Sakura…that as long as you wish it, I will be here." He pledged.

She sighed, content, now that she was where she belonged. "Where did you even go?"

Gaara looked over her head, thinking back on the time he had spent for the past two days.

_Two days ago…_

_Gaara appeared in the dark dungeon, sitting down in a meditative pose. Dark eyes lifted from their spot on the floor to the visitor that had come to see him. But the redhead said nothing. Instead, he closed his jade eyes, and tried not to think back on what had just happened. His world had shattered, just like stepping on ice and falling through._

_He had tried to apologize to Sakura, not meaning to hurt her or her feelings. He felt lonely and isolated, and wanted nothing to do with anyone, which was why he had come here the this person's cell. The only person in the whole village oblivious to what was going on in his life. Uchiha Sasuke._

_Nothing was said on the first day, only silence. Gaara stayed completely motionless as time passed, until finally, on the night of the second day, Sasuke spoke to him."What do you want?"_

_At this Gaara's eyes opened slowly and he looked angrily up at the prisoner. Sasuke surprisingly didn't look threatening, instead genuine curiosity on his face. The redhead leaned forward and rested his face in his hands. "Uchiha…Sakura told me to leave her, and I don't know why." He finally admitted._

_The dark haired boy looked astonished, the news shocking even him. Sabaku no Gaara was admitting that something bothered him. And, surprisingly enough, it was about his own ex-teammate. "I don't know what you want me to say Sabaku."_

_Gaara stood up slowly, keeping his eyes locked on Sasuke. "Tell me of Sakura. I thought that her and I…I thought we were friends, and then she does something like this."_

"_Something you need to understand about Sakura," Sasuke replied without even realizing it. "Is that she says things she doesn't mean. All the time. Especially when she's upset."_

_The redhead took this into consideration, knowing very well that he said things he did not mean all the time as well. But it seemed odd that other people would do it too. After all, he was very abnormal. _

"_I still don't understand. I gave her what she wanted and she still told me to leave. I just…don't understand…"he repeated, still seeming lost._

_Sasuke sighed and leaned forward. "Look Sabaku, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Do you want to know the reason I never fell for Sakura and stayed with her? Or the reason I left my village?"_

_Gaara crossed his arms tightly over his chest, remaining silent. Taking this as a yes, Sasuke continued. "Because I don't care about anyone but myself. Putting other people first was never something I did, my only focus being myself and my cause. That is the difference between us. Now go away. I'm tired of looking at you."_

_The Kazekage looked down, repeating the words in his head. Of course, friendship was about putting others first and only caring for their needs before your own. He wanted to put Sakura first, he wanted her needs to be met. Amazingly enough, talking to Uchiha Sasuke was exactly what Gaara needed. Without another word he turned his back to his enemy and disappeared in a whirlwind of sand._

"Nowhere," he spoke softly and rested his head on hers once more.

Huffing once more, Temari interrupted their interlude. "Can we go now? The banquet is going to start soon, and you have to make a big entrance Gaara."

Gaara laughed, straightening up and looking down at the striking girl. "Only if Sakura will accompany me."

She smiled in response. "If that is what you wish, I would be more than happy to go with you, as long as you stay in my sight the whole night."

"Of course m'lady." He bowed graciously, and something inside of him clicked. He was warm now, instead of the deathly cold he had felt for the past two days. He offered his hand to her, and she courteously set hers on his so he could escort her. Temari rolled her eyes at the two, taking the lead and opening her fan to hide her annoyed look.

"Come on already, chop, chop." She barked, walking out the front door. Gaara and Sakura followed. When they reached the one of the largest and most luxurious hotels in Suna, the blonde led them to the side entrance so they wouldn't be seen. Their surroundings looked like an area for a stage crew, and only then did the duo realize they were going to be introduced on one.

"Well this won't be awkward." Gaara sighed, looking gallingly at his sister.

"Humor me." She said with a smirk.

They heard their names being announced, and then the curtains were drawn.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAKURA!" the entire room cheered.

The loud noise and 'attack' from their spectators forced Gaara into defensive mode. He grabbed Sakura and pulled her against him, the sand surrounding its master rose instantaneously, creating a barrier between them and the crowd.

Temari was wide eyed back stage and then hit her palm to her forehead. "Stupid Gaara." The whole crowd went silent and Gaara felt truly embarrassed.

"Um…sorry." He said.

Sakura laughed for the first time in days. "Wow Gaara, I didn't know you thought of all these people as a threat. Or were you just worried about me?" she asked, quirking a brow.

"So…Temari!" he turned away from Sakura and glared at his hiding sister. She walked out and waved to everyone, who immediately began clapping again. "You decided to trick me and go behind my back?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, keeping her face happy and laughing for the guests. "It was Sakura's birthday, and I wanted to surprise her. You would have told her anyways."

"True." He admitted with a shrug.

"Well go on you two," Temari said, shoving them both down the steps and into the crowd. "Have a fun party! Get something to eat, mingle, whatever!"

As they reached the floor, and were greeted by the guests, and Gaara noticed something odd. Temari had said this was a black and white party, yet the only one he could tell who was wearing white was Sakura. "Um Sakura," he leaned down to try and whisper to her, but was interrupted by one of the officials.

"Happy birthday Sakura-sama," he gave her a small bow, taking her hand and kissing it tenderly. "You look exquisite this evening." He turned to Gaara and bowed once more. "Kazekage-sama, your companion is exceedingly beautiful, my congratulations." He nodded to the two and walked off.

"Um…" Gaara trailed off, a confused look on his face. "What?"

Sakura leaned towards him. "I believe he just complimented you. Or was it me?" shaking her head to clear the confusion, she changed the subject. "Let's go find the others." She said, dragging him to the opposite side of the room, where she spotted a flash of bright yellow.

Said boy waved her over with a smile. "Happy birthday Sakura-chan! You look great!"

"You don't look too bad yourself Naruto. You actually clean up really well." She chuckled.

He popped his collar, face full of self confidence. "Well I had to look good, otherwise I would embarrass Hinata-chan over here."

Behind him stood Hinata, who wore a simple, yet elegant black floor length dress. It had thin black straps, and lace lining the top. "Hinata you look beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Doesn't she? Am I the luckiest guy to have a girl like her as my date or what?" the blonde asked, wrapping his arm around her waist. Hinata blushed at his question. Temari had told them that they could either bring a date, or come alone and try to meet someone. When she told them this, Naruto simply announced that Hinata would go with him, leaving the ebony haired girl no room to argue. Not that she would have.

"That you are Naruto." Looking around, Sakura couldn't find the one person she wanted to see most. "Where's Ino?"

The fox boy shrugged. "Who knows? Probably off with Kiba in some corner doing I don't want to know."

"Well Naruto, glad to know that's what you think I do in my free time, I'll keep that in mind." The pale blonde's whimsical voice came from behind the group. Ino wore a tight black floor length dress as well. It was strapless, with a low open back that laced across her shoulder blades. There was a large slit up to her upper thigh, string lacing there as well. Her arm was looped with Kiba's, who was wearing a tux.

A soft sound began to ring throughout the room and the beat steadily turned to music, played by an orchestra. Kiba glanced down at his date and gave her a grin. "Would you like to dance?"

"Of course." Ino smiled back and waved her friends a goodbye before disappearing into the crowd of people.

Wanting to join, Sakura gave Gaara a coy smile. "Want to show them how it's done? That is, if you can dance."

Gaara gave her a skeptical look, "Excuse me?" He laughed and crossed his arms. "Sakura, I am the Kazekage, both a leader and a political head. Of course I know how to dance. The real question is…can you keep up?" He offered his hand to her and just as the cello hit a loud, low note, she slapped her hand into his. The moment her hand was in his grip, he pulled her to him. Their bodies fully pressed together then, the only visible things to one another were the shades of emerald and jade of the other's eyes.

He moved his free hand to her lower back, pressing her further against him. She lifted her own open hand and draped it on his shoulder.

"I'll try not to outshine you." She said with a grin, beginning the steps of the dance. He smirked in response, and took the lead.

After a few moments of dancing together, he spun her around. Placing her hand back on his shoulder, she looked at him shyly.

"You look really handsome tonight Gaara. The suit fits you well."

He made sure that every time she was brought back to him, she was even closer than the time before, if possible. "Thank you," he whispered huskily into her ear, causing her to blush. He spun her around again and pulled her back quickly, "I'm sorry that I said what I did." He told her sadly, "I wanted to come here with you for more than just because I thought I had too."

She glanced up at him, about to word her thoughts, when Gaara's attention shifted from her to their right where Kakashi stood, also dressed in a tux, though his face was still covered. "I do not mean to interrupt this lovely tango, but if I may?" the silver haired ninja asked Gaara politely.

Without a word Gaara pulled reluctantly away from Sakura, placing her hand into her teachers. "Of course," he said, giving the man a nod. Kakashi took Sakura's hand and began to dance with her. Gaara looked off and pushed through the crowd to go find Naruto.

"You know Kakashi-sensei, you have the worst timing, as usual." Sakura lamented, looking up at her former teacher.

His lone eye crinkled. "I just thought I would butt in before things got too serious."

Her face twisted in displeasure. "Humph. We were just talking, like you and I are doing right now."

The silver haired jounin simply shook his head. "That's not the way it appeared to everyone else. You know Sakura, you're kinda like the daughter I never really wanted, since I'm forever destined to be a heartbreaker, so I'm going to give you some advice."

Sakura's brow furrowed. He wasn't going to have a sex talk with her was he? "Kakashi-sensei, I highly doubt this is the time or place-"

"But this is the perfect time and place. First things first, you should know that most boys your age are only looking for one thing. You must _never_ give it to them." He said in all seriousness. A light blush dusted her cheeks at his words. "Second, boys are liars. So when they say they aren't after number one, they are lying. Simple as that." Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off. "And third, when you catch them doing number two, in order to get number one, you need to tell me so I can kill them."

Not wanting to wait and see what other advice the copy nin had to give her, she made eye contact with Gaara, and sent him a pleading look. Hopefully he would see the meaning behind her gaze, and come rescue her.

Luckily for Sakura, Gaara had been looking over at her every thirty seconds, for reasons unknown to him. When he caught her gaze and mental plea, he moved away from the man he was engaged in a conversation with, and was at her side immediately. "Now it's my turn to interrupt." He said simply, trying not to give Kakashi too much of a threatening look.

The grey haired man bowed respectfully and held Sakura's hand out for Gaara, who took it anxiously. Once Kakashi disappeared into the crowd, Gaara brought her to him. "Rescued the damsel in distress." He smirked, setting his hand once more on her lower back.

She smirked in response. "Well, it's my party, so you have to do whatever I want. And at the moment, I wanted to finish our dance. And our conversation." At this her face turned remorseful. "I understand why you said what you did. I shouldn't have been so childish about it. I didn't hurt you did I? I was afraid that you had a concussion from the injury on your head. I never would have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you because of me."

"Sakura, obviously I'm fine." He gave her a faint smile. "And if it is alright with the queen of the evening, I would very much appreciate not talking of such depressing things." The music coming from the orchestra sped up as did Gaara's steps. "Besides…it doesn't matter anymore. Now is the time to focus on."

She smiled. He was right. Getting caught up in the movements of the tango, she hiked her leg around his waist, pressing their pelvises together. Noting the surprised look in his eyes, she blushed at her boldness. Putting down her leg, she apologized. "Sorry, I got carried away for a minute there."

A smirk formed on his face, and his hand trailed down from her back, resting on her leg. "Why sorry Sakura? I thought this was _your_ night?" he taunted, letting his hand grip her thigh and bring it back up as an encouragement.

Her face turned a darker shade of red. He was doing this to her on purpose, knowing that it would embarrass her. Might as well mess with him in the process. She fluttered her eyelashes, and gave him another coy look. Grinding into his hips, she broke contact and danced around him, the fingertips of her left hand never leaving his shoulders.

"Tell me Gaara, can you tango?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Hn." He took her by the hand once she was in front of him again, and swept her into his grasp. He arched over her, causing her to bend back and slide her leg between his. "I don't know, can I?" he asked her, pressing his face into the crook of her neck.

A silly grin made its way across her face. She nuzzled him in return, and put her other leg around his waist as he stood them up. "I concede. It seems you do know how to dance after all. Most guys just get intimidated by my awesome moves." She said with a smile.

Gaara's smirk instantly turned to a frown. "Most guys?"

She became confused at the obvious disapproval in his tone. "Well, yeah. I mean, I don't get out much anyways because I'm always working, but every once in a while Ino makes me go to the club with her. It's very rare when I can find a dance partner that can keep up with me, since I took lessons as a kid."

He raised a brow at this. "Lessons?"

She sighed. "Yeah. My mother made me take private lessons on top of ninja training, because she wanted me to be more lady-like." Her face turned into a grimace. "It was hell having to train twice as hard for two completely different things, but now that I look back on it, dancing has made me more flexible, which helps in the ninja world."

"I see," he said softly. He still wasn't too fond of the idea she had danced with another man, but it was in the past. Right now it was only him and her, and he was going to show her how un-intimidated he really was.

The song came to an end and without delay another began, an argentine tango. Striking the strings with brisk and sharp notes, the orchestra played vigorously. Gaara let Sakura out, their only contact being their hands. As the music picked up, it was their foot work that was grabbing attention from all the people around them. Their feet were weaving in and out of each other's legs flawlessly. It almost seemed like a competition between the two, to see who would slip first. Sakura leaned forward, her body tilting over Gaara's, before stepping apart and facing opposite directions.

Temari watched the two like a hawk, her lace fan out and covering her mouth. An older man was beside her, watching the Kazekage and his partner dance expertly. "That woman is simply superb."

The blonde glanced over at him, a sly smile coming to her face. "Oh yes. Sakura is quite a woman. She's the Hokage's assistant, so she has a lot of experience in political matters."

"Is that so?" the elder pondered, appearing deep in thought.

They danced around the floor, Sakura still facing the same way as Gaara. He flipped her back around, and they did a few more twists with their legs. Then, Sakura hooked her left leg on Gaara's, and stuck her right leg up in the air vertically. She brought it down slowly, brushing his shoulder with her thigh. Then their feet began their battle once again.

"Absolutely. She sits in on meetings, helps write the treaties, organizes and files paperwork….all kinds of things for the Hokage." Temari said blithely.

"Interesting." He turned to another elderly man next to him, and began to relay the information he just heard.

They twirled together, faces only centimeters apart. Sakura followed Gaara's lead, seeing as he was the man in this dance. They pushed away from one another, their feet always moving in rhythm with each other. Gaara pulled Sakura back, and her knee hiked up on his leg as he leaned back. She came back off, both their legs moving in a circular movement, and then Sakura slid to the ground gracefully, holding only Gaara's left hand with her right. She stayed that way only for a moment, when the redhead pulled her up slowly. He spun her around and rejoined his free hand with hers, with her back to him and her left leg hooked over his own left.

"She's also a medic, a great one. She is the Hokage's student, said to have already surpassed her master." Temari let out a small yawn as if the conversation was boring her. More of the elders had crowded around their Kazekage's sister, watching the sultry tango.

"Ah yes, I've heard of her." One replied.

"What a jewel." Another said with an approving nod.

They leaned to the left, and came back up gracefully. Once Sakura's foot was back on the ground, she spun away from the redhead. When she was approximately two feet away from him, she began to move on her own. Following her lead, Gaara did a bit of fancy footwork of his own, and then they began to dance towards each other. Meeting halfway, she stepped forward with her right foot, while he stepped back with his left. Then they did the same thing with their other feet. They continued this for a few beats, and then went back to twirling.

"So, she has surpassed her mentor you say?" one of the elders asked the wind kunoichi.

"She surpassed Tsunade-sama a long time ago. Tomorrow she is going to teach some of the nurses at the hospital, in order to improve the program here." She informed them.

"Amazing. Simply amazing. Imagine what she could do if she were to stay here for an indefinite period of time." The elder said to the others.

The steps becoming more complex as they continued, Gaara let Sakura away from him, holding her by one hand. She spun around under the arch of his arm and fell back into his tight hold. They turned swiftly, Sakura sliding back down to the ground, letting her knee touch the floor before snapping back up. They turned together, letting their feet dance with one another, chests touching. Finally, they joined hands, Gaara spinning Sakura intricately. Her right leg swung backward in a one-hundred and eighty degree angle, and then brought it down, sliding it between his legs as he crouched back. Their bodies formed into the arch perfectly and they stayed that way, their faces merely a breath away. Just as they began to lean towards each other, the crowd broke out in applause, breaking them from the trance they were in.

They both stood, with Sakura hiding behind Gaara's arm slightly, embarrassed at the attention she was receiving. She had forgotten where and who she was, and was about to kiss _the_ Kazekage. What she wasn't sure of, however, was if he was going to kiss her too. Was it possible that she had just imagined him leaning towards her? She needed girl talk, pronto.

"Um, Gaara, I'm going to go talk to Ino and them for a while. Is that okay?" she asked, peering into his eyes.

"Of course, it's your party." He didn't seem as affected by the crowd's attention, but she could have sworn she saw a slight blush on his face. Maybe he wasn't as unaffected by their almost-kiss as she thought he was.

"I'll be…" he paused, his eyes scanning for anything that would give him an excuse to leave her and regain his composure. "I'm going to ask the elders if they are enjoying themselves." He nodded and left her.

He made his way over to his sister and a couple of the elders. By now everyone had returned to dancing or talking around the room. "Good evening," the redhead nodded to each of his elders.

"Good evening Kazekage-sama," they muttered in unison, their gazes focused on something behind him. He glanced back and saw that they were watching Sakura as she made her way over to her blonde female friend.

"Quite a specimen, if I do say so myself, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara's head twisted back, seeing that some of the village officials had joined their little pow wow. "Excuse me?" the redhead asked, not sure if he should be defending Sakura from that comment.

"I merely mean that she is most acceptable Kazekage-sama." The official said with a smile.

"Oh yes, she's very beautiful." Another said.

"Very beautiful indeed," one of the elders nodded.

Gaara simply stared at the council, this was kind of weird.

"You know Kazekage-sama she's an excellent medic,"

"I know…" he replied suspiciously.

"And she's the Hokage's assistant, so she knows about political life and how to behave."

"Okay?" his suspicion rose.

"Such a stunning jewel would look marvelous in Suna, think of all the political gain."

"And the relationship with Konoha would strengthen," one of the younger officials spoke up.

"Wait." Gaara closed his eyes and looked around the group. "What exactly are we speaking about?"

"Marriage of course," they all said in unison once more.

Gaara went wide eyed. They were planning for him to marry? And Sakura was a candidate? He shook his head and looked out into the crowd. Spotting Sakura, his gaze focused on her. Well, they were right, she was extremely beautiful, and she was strong. He stared back at the council, who were now talking amongst themselves about how that would work out.

The thing that shocked him the most was that he was actually considering it. He was going to have to get married eventually, right? Why not pick Sakura? He enjoyed her presence more than any other person he knew. But marriage was for people who were in love, wasn't it? Gaara tried to shake the confusing thoughts from his head. He looked back at Sakura, who was talking with Ino and Naruto.

At least he thought she was talking, she just looked upset at what Naruto was saying. Gaara's brow furrowed and he left the group of men to find out what was wrong with his pink haired companion. When he arrived at her side, she could see the look of concern in his eyes. "Oh hey Gaara! I was just telling Sakura-chan about the witch Hinata-chan and I met yesterday." Naruto announced.

He quirked a brow at the fox boy. "Witch?"

"You know, that old hag called Yikyak or Yokoke, or something….." he replied, scratching the back of his head.

"You mean Yoko, Naruto-kun." Hinata chimed in softly.

He held his finger up as if he'd just had an epiphany. "Yeah! Her! Anyways, I was telling Sakura-chan about how Yoko made Hinata-chan cry. She was saying all kinds of things about Sakura-chan being your…um…source of entertainment for the cold, desert nights." He explained, becoming uncomfortable.

"I met her too, two days ago." Ino said, shivering a bit from the encounter. "She was like, the worst person I've ever come across."

"What did she say to you?" Kiba asked, keeping his hand possessively on Ino's shoulder.

"Well she was completely rude, acting like how dare I come ask for Sakura at the hospital. She's more up on herself than I am!" the blonde gaped, and nodded, agreeing with her own statement. "She said to me that Sakura was probably doing…_those things_…with Gaara. So I slapped her! I mean she called you a whore Sakura!"

Gaara scoffed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "I can assure you that she is incorrect, Sakura and I have only slept together once. That's all."

Naruto gaped at them, opening and closing his mouth to the point where he resembled a fish. "Is that true Sakura-chan?"

Missing the meaning behind Naruto's question, she answered without thinking. "Yeah. His sheets are so soft and comfortable. They're really fun to roll around in." she said, complete honesty in her voice.

"What?" everyone yelled in unison.

The pink haired girl crossed her arms, finally catching on to where their minds were. "Oh come on guys! I'd had a bad day, and couldn't sleep! I _accidentally_ fell asleep in Gaara's arms is all, and he was nice enough to let me stay."

"Oh. Well you should do something about that troll of a nurse. She isn't very nice. I wouldn't want to be treated by her." The jinchuuriki pointed out.

Sakura crossed her arms. "Naruto, you don't like to be treated by anybody. Every time you wind up in the hospital, you insist that you're fine, and try to escape."

He put his hand behind his head and grinned sheepishly. "Hehe, well, since I have the Kyuubi's chakra, it heals me sooner, so I really don't need to stay in the hospital."

Turning to Gaara, she gave him a meaningful look. "I think it's time we go pay our _dear_ _friend_ Yoko a visit. I'm sure she'd _love_ to see us." She said, sarcasm dripping from her statement.

"Why not? She's here after all." He said, pointing behind her. Over near the table filled with sweets was the nurse from hell herself. "Temari told her it was indeed a banquet, so apparently she's very upset that this was your party."

"Perfect." She said, linking arms with Gaara, an evil grin making its way across her face. It was gone by the time they walked up to the brunette however. "Why hello Yoko. I didn't expect to see you here. Do you have a date?" Sakura inquired.

The fuming woman merely shook her head negatively, eyes locked on their intertwined arms. "It's a shame. I'm lucky to have Gaara. Did you see our tango?" Sakura gazed off in the distance, lost in the memory. "He certainly is an invigorating dancer." She added, smiling up at the man on her arm.

Gaara pulled her closer to him, just in spite of Yoko, as well as knowing this would please Sakura, and he wasn't too fond of this woman always harassing her. "Well, it takes two to tango of course. It wouldn't have been as marvelous as it was if Sakura wasn't _so_ flexible." He smiled back down at the pink haired princess of the night.

She blushed at the compliment, while Yoko seethed in silent fury. Turning back to the brunette, she said, "By the way Yoko, you wouldn't believe what I heard a few minutes ago."

"What?" the older medic asked through clenched teeth.

"Apparently, someone thinks that Gaara and I are sleeping together, and is accusing me of being a whore. And then, that same person accused my good friend Hinata of doing similar activities. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"N-no, I don't, S-Sakura-sama." She stuttered out, remembering her encounter with the vibrant blonde haired boy the day before, and actually glancing over at him. She definitely had no wish to repeat that experience _ever_ again.

Gaara eyed Yoko suspiciously. "Is that so?" he asked, giving her a harsh, stern look. "Because I was just telling Sakura here, once we find out who it was, I will personally see that their punishment is just."

The brunette paled visibly. Her survival instincts were beginning to kick in, and she decided to get out of there as soon as possible. "That sounds great, K-Kazekage-sama. Um, if you'll excuse me, I need to go….somewhere over there." She said vaguely, practically running away from the pair. This only caused Sakura to burst into laughter.

"That was great! We make a pretty good team, if I do say so myself." She said, emerald eyes smiling into Gaara's jade ones.

"Well I simply told her the truth." He gave her a small smile, moving his hand to the small of her back and leading her towards a table filled with professionally wrapped presents. "Temari told me these are all yours, the elders and officials and the villagers wanted to get them for you."

Her eyes widened. "I've never seen so many presents in my life! These really aren't necessary Gaara. I don't even know how I'm going to get them all back to Konoha."

"We can always have them sent over. No need to worry about it," he explained. Sakura opened her presents, receiving beautiful clothes, perfumes, and jewelry. When she got the last one, she noticed it was from Ino. She excitedly ripped the paper off, knowing her best friend always got her something good. When she looked in the box her face turned crimson at the sight of a silky red negligee. She quickly shoved the lid back on, not wanting anyone to see the item inside. "Well that was great, moving on!" she laughed awkwardly, calling even more attention to herself with her odd behavior. Gaara arched his brow and tried to steal the present away to see what was inside. Her blush darkened, if possible, and she jerked the gift away from him. "It's nothing Gaara, girl stuff." She blurted out, hiding the present in the mess of the others.

He stared at her questioningly. Luckily for her he wasn't a very curious type most of the time. The rest of the night flew by with the cutting of the cake, more dancing and socializing. Finally, Sakura pulled tiredly on Gaara's arm, "I'm ready to go home." She flashed him a weary smile.

"Of course Sakura," he held his hand out for her, which she happily took. He turned to one of the waiters and told him to take care of Sakura's gifts and have them delivered to the mansion. With a sharp nod the man dashed off to recruit some help. Gaara pressed Sakura against him, and in a swift swirl they were gone from the party.

They materialized in the living room, alone. "Well that…was some party."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "I'm worn out. I don't think I've danced that much in a long time." She made her way up the stairs, the redhead following her. Stopping outside her door, she turned to him. "Goodnight Gaara." She murmured, giving him one last smile.

"Goodnight Sakura, and, happy birthday."

Closing her door, she stripped off her dress and necklace, wanting to get into her pajamas as soon as possible. Walking over to her bedside table, she noticed a small box. Opening it, she gasped at what she saw. Inside, placed carefully amongst light pink tissue paper, was the small glass orb, containing the petrified cherry blossom she had seen in the marketplace on her second day here. She picked up the card that was underneath the box and examined it. Written in an elegant hand, it simply read,

_Happy Birthday_

Her face broke out into a grin, knowing exactly who had given it to her. She set the items down and quickly threw on her robe before running down the hall. Pulling open Gaara's bedroom door without knocking, she ran up to the frozen Kazekage, who, at the moment, was in the middle of unbuttoning his shirt. Flinging her arms around his shoulders, she gave him a warm hug. "Thank you, I love my present." She whispered. She began to lean in, in order to give him a kiss on the cheek, but froze when she was mere centimeters away. What if he got mad?

So instead, she pulled away, and gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder. "Well…goodnight!" She said, and then proceeded to leave the room as quickly as she had entered.

Gaara stared after her, frozen still from the shock of what had just happened. "You're welcome…?" he finally muttered out, even though she was already gone. At least she seemed to like his present. He had to search the market for the stand they had seen it in when they went shopping for the first time. Un-clasping the last button, Gaara tossed his shirt off into a chair, removing his dress pants and remaining in nothing but his boxers.

The redhead got into bed and let himself relax in the darkness. If felt nice to be in a bed after the past three days on the cold ground. Then sleep took him, and he was once more plagued by his dream.

_Once again Gaara was surrounded by the black, empty abyss. He looked around, knowing what would come next, but recalling the last time when he had heard a voice. He needed to know who the voice belonged to. On impulse he stepped forward, and, as always, the invisible ground shattered. _

_Gaara closed his eyes tightly, feeling the rushing wind around him from the fall, but he needed to hear the voice, if it even came. Just when he felt all hope draining from him, there it was._

"_GAARA!" a girl called out, her voice filled with worry._

Gaara's eyes shot open as he sat up in bed. He _knew_ that voice! But he couldn't place a face to it. It was definitely a woman though. He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands and trying to think. It seemed so familiar, but it was still vague. Was he ever going to find out who this person was trying to call him from the darkness?

* * *

_She looked around, seeing the Suna street that had become so familiar to her over the past few days. Suddenly, she recognized it as the same one where she and Gaara had gone shopping._

_Recalling the man next to her, who felt oddly familiar now, she traced his body with her eyes. When she got to his neck, her hope lifted. Maybe she would get to see his face this time, or at least the color of his hair. But, just as she saw the underside of his jaw, the image disappeared in a swirl of sand._

She sat upright in her bed, panting. She had been so close! By now, she wasn't even sure if it was Sasuke. She hadn't thought of him in days, too distracted by the time she spent with the sand master. What she really needed was to see Sasuke, and talk to him. That would erase any doubts she had as to who the mysterious man in her dream was. Lying back down, she faced her window, praying that sleep would overtake her soon. Tomorrow was a big day after all.


	14. Medical School

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Fourteen_

-Operation Day Ten: Medical School-

She and Gaara got up early the next day. He had a lot of work to catch up on, and, oddly enough, it was her first day teaching the nurses at the hospital. They didn't have any food at the house, since it all went bad, so they stopped by a fruit stand and a bakery on their way, putting together a small breakfast.

Luckily, Yoko was nowhere to be seen when Sakura was shown the classroom that she would be using. She didn't want to ruin her morning by talking with the rude brunette. Shortly after eight, people began to file in and take their assigned seats. The first student to enter was a boy, probably around seventeen. He had strawberry blonde hair, honey brown eyes, and a smile that was a little too friendly. When he entered the room he held his hand out to her, shaking hers vigorously as he introduced himself.

"Hello Sakura-sama! My name is Uchohi Sosuke. I'm a big fan of yours. I heard about what you did for the Kazekage's brother five years ago, and then what you did for his sister. So courageous! I am honored to be your student!" he said excitedly.

Sakura herself had to keep fro, rolling her eyes. What a kiss up. She disliked him immediately. Pasting a fake smile on her face, she returned the greeting. "It's nice to meet you. I merely did what anyone else in my position would have done. No need to make it into a big deal."

He gave her an incredulous look, still holding her hand in his. "And modest too. How is it you are single Sakura-sama?"

The question made her uncomfortable for some reason, but thankfully she didn't have to answer it, since another group of people entered and greeted her. She slowly pulled her hand from his, and turned to welcome the newcomers.

At eight fifteen, it was time to begin. She would not accept tardiness, so she shut and locked the classroom door. Hopefully there wouldn't be any emergencies that required her skills today. She turned to face the group of people, clapping her hands together to get their attention. "Hello class, if you don't already know, my name is Haruno Sakura. I'm not going to give you a background about me, because it would take up precious time, and most of you already know about my skills. I will tell you, however, that I do know what I'm doing, so you needn't worry." She smiled.

She placed an injured fish on her desk then. "One by one, I want you to come up here and heal the fish. This way I can assess your skill level, so I know what you need to be taught." She instructed.

It took an hour to get through everyone, because some were faster healers than others, and a few who couldn't heal the fish kept trying, unsuccessfully. Sakura sighed. Well, at least they persevered, she thought. She stood from her seat and began to address them once more when they were finished.

"Today I'm going to teach you a few ways to heal minor wounds, which are faster and more efficient to your chakra reserves." She put a diagram up on the board that explained what she would be doing in great detail. After having them copy it down for notes, she demonstrated what to do on the fish. Once she finished, she placed a fish on everyone's desk, and asked them to try. She walked around the room and observed their work, pleased that they were all quick learners.

"Sakura-sama! I don't understand how you do this. Can you show me where to place my hands on the fish?" Sosuke asked her, feigning innocence as he raised his hand straight up in the air. She knew what he was up to, it was one of the oldest tricks in the book. Heck, she had even tried it a few times on Sasuke when they were younger. She walked over to his table and looked down at the fish she had given him. Unmoving, she said, "Put your hands over the wound Sosuke. It won't heal unless you do."

"Oh! I see now. Like this?" he asked, failing to hide his disappointment.

"Exactly." She turned and walked back to the front, ready to show them the second method.

Things proceeded in a similar fashion all day. She would lecture a bit about a new technique, then have them try it on their own. While she was walking around the room offering helpful tips, Sosuke would call her over to ask her a question, usually having to do with trying to get her to lean over him or touch him in some way, which always failed.

When four thirty finally came around, she dismissed everyone, thankful that the day was now over. She wanted to have some time to collect her thoughts before seeing Gaara. He would expect her to inform him of how the class went, and what his nurses would need to learn in order to compete with the other village's hospitals. Noticing Sosuke make his way towards her, she fled the room, dashing down the stairs and effectively losing him.

"Well well well, if it isn't little Miss I Can Do Everything. Tell me Sakura, that is your name right? Did you make a complete fool of yourself attempting to teach my nursing staff?" Sakura stiffened and turned towards the cause of the voice slowly. As if her day couldn't get any worse, Yoko just had to show up, that same self-righteous smirk on her face. Walking over to the older woman, she tilted her head in contemplation.

"Not really Yoko. They were all perfect students, ready and willing to learn when there was a real teacher to teach them." She replied.

The brunette merely raised her brow in contempt. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh you know. It's been proven that people learn better when the one teaching them actually knows what they're talking about."

Yoko forced a smile. "Interesting. Tell me, Sakura, did you enjoy your presents? I couldn't help but notice you didn't receive one from Gaara-sama, but then again, I wouldn't expect my Kazekage to buy anything for a floozy like you."

Sakura was more than angry now. Gaara didn't belong to anybody, especially not Yoko. He was her friend, and she would not stand for that talk. On top of that, the older medic actually dared to call her a whore to her face, even after what Gaara had said to her last night. It was time to show the older woman that she, Haruno Sakura, had learned more from her shishou than just healing skills.

She grabbed Yoko by the collar, similar to the way in which Naruto had done. Without a word, she threw the brunette through the wall of the hospital, leaving a large hole in her wake.

At this point Gaara had been walking up to the hospital. He watched as Yoko flew by him and into a food stall, not really interested. It was about time that cougar got thrown through a wall. Then he saw Sakura walk up to the hole in the wall, glaring. "Gaara waited to give me his present in the confines of my room. And I loved it!" she yelled, as she began to walk back into the hospital. She turned around, another thought coming to mind. "Not that it's any of your business what we do when we are alone." She said, before stomping away.

Gaara stifled a laugh, stepping through the hole in the wall instead of using the door. "Hello Sakura, are you ready for dinner? It's finally just the two of us tonight," he gave her a true smile as he approached her, taking her hands in his and bringing her closer. "None of those…_annoying_ distractions."

Nearly every nurse within earshot gave a swooning sigh as they looked at the two, completely enveloped in what they saw. "Oh Kazekage-sama! You're so sweet to take your love on a date!" one smiled and bowed to the two.

The redhead blinked and watched the nurse hurry away to help with the patients, just as happy as can be. "Um, it's not a…" he began, before he was _rudely_ interrupted.

Yoko burst through the hole and gasped, "A date?"

Sakura peered around the redhead and raised a brow at her. "Well, seeing as I'm Gaara's whore, it's only natural for him to repay me in some way. That's how it works isn't it?" She turned back to Gaara and held out some papers to him. "By the way, I need you to sign these termination papers. Some of the staff here is incompetent, and will only bring the hospital to ruin."

Gaara took the papers from her and turned around, letting his glare fall on the poor woman. "My what?" he dared Yoko to even speak. Though, if she didn't try to defend herself, something worse might happen.

"K-Kazekage-sama. I…I didn't mean a lady of the evening…I only meant…" she froze up, fear striking through her entire body. "I was only saying that you two weren't married and yet…you…." She gulped.

Gaara walked up to her, and the closer he got, the smaller Yoko shrunk into herself. "What in the world made you think Sakura and I would do such a thing before we were married? Hm?" he seethed, forcing himself to remain calm and not strangle her.

"W-well, I didn't know t-that you w-were planning on m-m-marrying Sakura-sama, K-Kazekage-sama." The woman stammered out. She could barely even say it.

Upon hearing his own proclamation he stopped, trying to think of what to say. Did he want to marry Sakura? "Look…I, uh…" he stopped, glancing over at Sakura.

Her eyes were the size of saucers, and a light blush was decorating her cheeks. Marry Gaara? She had never thought of it before, since Sasuke was the only one she had ever pictured growing old with. But she knew that he didn't mean what he said, probably just saying it to get Yoko off her back for good. So she decided to help him out. She grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to her, trying to get a reign on her emotions.

"Once again, our personal lives are none of your business Yoko. Now if you don't mind, I think Gaara was going to take me out to dinner. Alone." She began to lead him to the hole in the wall, and, once they reached it, she turned back to the brunette. "By the way, you should pack up all of your personal belongings. I don't want to see you at this hospital unless you're seriously wounded, and dying."

"What? You can't fire me!" the older woman yelled in indignation.

"Oh I believe I can, since I'm your superior." She replied.

"But Kazekage-sama needs me! He knows I'm a valuable asset to the survival of this village!" Yoko exclaimed, giving Gaara a pleading look.

"We'll see. Unless, Sakura can convince me otherwise." He informed her, thankful for the save. He knew that Sakura understood he meant nothing with those words. With that he let Sakura pull him with her without another word. They made their way down the streets, completely at peace with their proximity. Stopping at a nice restaurant, one on the other side of the village than the one they destroyed, the two went in and were immediately shown to their seats.

Gaara pulled out Sakura's chair for her and she sat quickly with a bright smile. "Thank you Gaara."

He sat across from her and took the folded napkin from the top of his plate and set it in his lap. He laced his fingers and rested his chin on his hands, keeping his gaze on her. "So other than the obvious mayhem I witnessed, how was your day?"

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but slammed it shut, going wide eyed as Sosuke popped up behind the redhead.

"Sakura-sama!" he exclaimed, nearly making Gaara fall out of his chair. The annoying student grabbed a chair from a nearby table and dragged it to theirs. "How are you?" he sighed dreamily, focusing on only her.

Gaara's eye visibly twitched as he eyed the kid interrupting their supposed quiet dinner. Sakura noticed this, and decided to try and get rid of the little pest. "I'm doing the same as I was when class was over, Sosuke. Now if you don't mind, Gaara and I were trying to have a meeting about class today."

Not taking the hint, Sosuke scooted his chair closer to Sakura's. "Oh, but that's why I came to talk to you. I had a few questions about what we went over today." Gaara eyed him suspiciously but said nothing, of course because he did not know of the whole situation.

She scooted away from him, giving him a confused look. "What questions could you possibly have that you didn't ask while we were there?"

Before she could hear his answer, the waitress came to take their order. "What can I get for you?"

"I'll have the special please, with extra sauce." Sosuke chimed in. Sakura's eyes widened. She couldn't believe that Sosuke had the nerve to invite himself to dinner. He didn't even seem to be intimidated by the killing aura coming off of the redhead.

"Excuse me miss." Gaara began, his voice strained, his glare never leaving the boy. "This…_child_ is not joining us."

"Oh you wouldn't deprive a young mind the chance to gain more knowledge would you Kazekage-sama?" Sosuke asked, raising an arrogant brow. He turned back to the waitress. "Continue with your work."

The waitress, miffed now, turned to Gaara, taking his order. When they finished she briefly took Sakura's order and left. The redhead stared angrily at the intruder. Of course he could say nothing, because the class was supposed to teach the people of Suna. But this kid's arrogance was starting to piss him off.

Trying to steer clear of destruction, Sakura went back to their earlier conversation. "So, what do you need exactly?"

He scooted towards her again. "Well I just wanted to know if you could give me private lessons. You know, so I can get ahead in the class?" Gaara's gaze shifted from Sosuke to Sakura, watching her reaction.

Scooting away from him again, she made a nervous sound. "Um, well I haven't discussed doing private lessons with Gaara. He's the one who is really running everything."

Dismissing the redhead with a wave of his hand, Sosuke continued to dig his grave. "I'm sure whatever you want to do is fine. I mean, you're a genius. The Kazekage would be stupid not to do as you say. If_ I_ was him, _I_ would never question you."

The silverware that Gaara had picked up was now bent in half in his hand. Gaara's eye was twitching so badly that it almost looked as if he was having a seizure. Just remain calm, he told himself, taking deep breaths and counting backwards from ten. He was the one in charge, as Sakura had said, and there was no way in hell he would ever allow his Sakura to give this…lovesick punk private lessons. Unless of course he were present the entire time. Gaara stopped his thoughts and pondered back on what he had thought. He had just referred to Sakura as his again. He shook his head and let the thoughts disperse. It was only because he was protecting a friend from an annoying pest, he assured himself.

Looking really uncomfortable, Sakura tried to get rid of the blonde boy once again. "Well, I don't really think there's anything I can teach you that you won't already learn in class."

"Oh I'm sure a woman your age knows plenty of things to teach a strapping young man such as myself. It doesn't even have to be medical related." He said, giving her a suggestive look, scooting even closer to her.

She scooted away once again, getting closer and closer to Gaara's side of the table. "Um, I don't think you have enough chakra control to learn how to use chakra to enhance your strength so….I wouldn't really be able to teach you anything else."

He moved his chair next to hers, and leaned towards her. "Oh, I wasn't talking about any types of jutsu. I was talking about other activities….that are usually done in a bedroom."

Gaara stood abruptly, pulling Sakura with him and pushing her protectively behind him. "Alright! That is ENOUGH!" he ordered, the look on his face more murderous than Sakura had ever seen. "If I ever hear another word like that come out of your perverted mouth about my Sakura," he began, sand already crawling up Sosuke's legs, gripping them painfully. "Do you understand me _boy_? Or do I need to demonstrate how, if you don't keep your mouth shut, I will shut it for you?"

Ignoring the fact that his life was in danger, Sosuke looked at Sakura, who was peeking around the temperamental redhead. "How can you hang around with such a mean person Sakura-_chan_? If you were _my_ woman, I would treat you differently. With gentle words and soft caresses on your beautiful skin."

The young medic's face began to turn green at the thought of having that perverted thing touch her. She could only picture one person doing things like _that_ to her and it certainly wasn't _him_. Sakura blinked at the images in her head. Wait, did she just picture Gaara caressing her gently and whispering sweet nothings in her ear? She mentally slapped herself. Never in a million years would Gaara do a thing like that with anybody, least of all her.

Gaara had tried counting backwards once again, but this time it had no effect on him. He lurched forward, his hand wrapping around Sosuke's throat and pinning him to the ground as the chair smacked the floor on its side. The Kazekage held him there, cutting off his air and leaning closer so the boy could hear every hate-filled word dripping from his mouth. "Alright brat. I've had just about enough of you. Let's get the facts straightened out, she is _not_ your woman. You will never, _ever_ touch her in that way or so help me, I will rip off every appendage you have." He finally released the boy, who immediately began gasping for air, and stood once more.

He grabbed Sakura by the wrist and pulled her with him and out of the restaurant. It was then that he decided they were never eating out again, too many weird and annoying things happened.

Tripping over her feet at the pace with which Gaara was dragging her away, Sakura couldn't help but feel relieved. Sosuke was really starting to freak her out. "Gaara, I'm sorry about that. I should have known he would become even creepier. He just didn't give away any indications in class today that he was that much of a weirdo."

"It's alright Sakura," he replied simply. "I just…" he stopped, slowing his pace a bit and glancing back at her. "I don't like when anyone speaks to you that way."

She gave him a warm smile. "That makes two of us. Are you still hungry? I kinda lost my appetite back there."

"Only a little," he admitted. In truth the whole event had made him lose his appetite as well. "Well there is a nice little place that sells ice cream on the way home. It's a Suna specialty, if you would like to try it." He offered, walking up to a small stand and talking to the man. The ice cream vendor was more than happy to give away two cones to his Kazekage.

Gaara flashed him a smile, gracious to the man's kindness. It was definitely a side of him Sakura had never seen before. He came back to her and held the white frozen treat to her. He took a bite out of his and winced from the brain freeze that shot through his head.

She took a tentative lick, and gasped at the flavor exploding in her mouth. It was sweet and salty, all at the same time. "This is delicious!" she exclaimed, giving him a brilliant smile. "Does it come in chocolate? Oh how I would love it if this came in chocolate!" she squealed. Then she sent Gaara an accusing glare. "Why haven't you brought me here before?"

He merely raised a brow at her. "Because every night we either go out to dinner, which is a disaster, or you make dessert, which I have to eat, or your feelings get hurt."

"Well, if you don't like my cooking, then you don't have to eat it." She huffed, crossing her arms and pouting like a child.

"Hey now, no need to get all huffy. I enjoy your cooking, alright? I just prefer salty things and you always seem to make sweets…" he admitted a bit quietly. "And they aren't bad, I like them…it's just not my favorite, and I don't want to hurt your feelings so I just eat it. Is that such a bad thing?" he explained, taking another bite of his ice cream and continuing their stroll back home.

She gave him a somewhat shocked look. "Well, if you like salty things better why didn't you just say so? I would have been happy to make something like that for you. And if I didn't know how to make anything salty, I could always learn."

He seemed surprised by her statement. "You would learn how to make new foods for me?"

"Of course. I want to make you happy, because your happiness is important to me." She said with a shrug.

She could have sworn that a soft pink color rose to Gaara's face, but when she caught another glance it was its normal pale shade. Perhaps it had just been the light from the setting sun that was making her see things. "I would like to make you happy too Sakura, it is…important to me that you are happy as well." He looked down at the treat and bit into the cone with a loud crunch. He seemed uncomfortable with his own words, but in truth it was only because he was not used to speaking about his feelings.

Now it was her turn to blush. She didn't know that he cared so much. If she were a different person, she'd make a joke about him having feelings, but knew that if she did, Gaara wouldn't open up to her again. Instead, she reached out and grasped his hand tentatively, giving it a light squeeze.

"It's nice to have a quiet evening, don't you think?" she asked, glancing up at him.

Gaara looked down at their intertwined fingers, letting his hand hold hers as well. "Well…quiet for us." He said, averting his eyes from hers now and pretending that his ice cream was the most fascinating thing in the world. They walked in silence after that, their hands still joined as they ate their ice cream. Neither knew what to say, until finally they reached their home.

They both finished their ice creams and went inside. They stopped in the living room and Gaara finally looked back down at their hands. Why was he alright with her touching him? He pulled his hand away, only because he knew that was what he _would_ have done, if he was still his old self.

"It's been a pretty long day…" he sighed, looking away from her, almost afraid to meet her gaze.

"Yeah….." she said, grabbing her arm and looking away from him awkwardly. There was a pregnant pause, until they both began to speak at once.

"I think I'll-"

"I'm gonna go-"

They stopped and stared at each other, both embarrassed. "Look, Sakura," Gaara began, stepping towards her. He stopped only centimeters away from her, "I feel…" he looked extremely nervous. Another side of Gaara she hadn't seen before, this was sure an interesting day. "I feel like I should tell you how I feel…and it's very odd, and I'm not used to it but…" he took a deep breath and focused his eyes down on the ground between them.

Sakura simply gazed into his face, in suspense of what he was going to say. In her eagerness, she began to lean towards him.

"I think…" he took a deep breath, meeting her beautiful stare with his own pale green. The distance between them seemed to be closing as the seconds ticked on. "I think that…" he stopped once more and then pulled away. "We should probably go to bed if we want to get up on time tomorrow." He said softly. It was obvious all over his face that those were not the words he wanted to say. With that said, he turned away from her and headed towards the stairs.

She hit the ground, having leaned so far forward, only to be let down by her disappointment. Quickly getting up, she followed him up the stairs. Opening her bedroom door, she glanced down the hall.

"Goodnight Gaara." She murmured, watching as he shut his door.


	15. Jealousy

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Fifteen_

-Operation Day Eleven: Jealousy-

The next day they had bagels and fruit for breakfast again. "We really need to go to the marketplace." Sakura said, feeling guilty about being lazy and just going out to eat.

Gaara simply shrugged, flipping through some papers he had brought home with him. "We could always make a list and send a chuunin out for us. Or Temari."

"I don't want to do that. I'd feel like we were using your powers as Kazekage for the wrong reasons." She looked down, not wanting to admit her love of the idea. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, running a hand through her hair.

"Sakura, we don't have any time to go shopping. The Uchiha's execution is just three days away, and you have a class to teach. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've sent Temari to do my shopping for me." The redhead stated, not even looking up from the scroll he was reviewing.

She gave him a cross look. "How could you use your sister that way?"

"Because, before you, I didn't know how to go grocery shopping, remember?" he finally broke away from his work and gave her a bored stare, making sure she knew how much he didn't like shopping.

"Yeah, you _were_ pretty hopeless." She giggled.

With a roll of his eyes Gaara stood, shoving the papers into a bag and hoisting it over his shoulder. "Come on, we don't want to be late now."

They headed out in silence and finally reached the hospital. "See you later," Gaara waved. Before he could walk away, she grabbed his arm, and spoke gently, unsure of herself. "Would you like to see the classroom? I can give you the notes I made on your hospital staff's progress while we're there. That way you can give them over to the elders."

Gaara stared down at his lovely companion, knowing he had a meeting to attend this morning, but something made him want to stay. Before another thought could form in his mind, the words spilled out, "I would love to."

Sakura smiled happily at him, and led him inside the large building. Arriving at the classroom, Sakura reached out to open the door. When she did, all she saw was a bunch of red roses shoved in her face. Before she could blink, Gaara had pulled her towards him, pressing her against his chest protectively, away from the menacing flowers.

"Good morning Sakura-chan! I got you these flowers as an apology for yesterday, since we didn't get the chance to finish our discussion. I heard that red roses were the way into a lady's heart." Sosuke said with a cheerful smile. Actually, red roses are the way to becoming completely corny and predictable, the pink haired medic thought with a look of distaste.

She felt Gaara tense behind her, but was unsure as to why. Slowly leaving his grasp, she took hold of the offered roses. "Thank you, Sosuke. Let me just put these in a part of the classroom where everyone will be able to see them." She said as she walked towards the back and placed them in a dark corner, away from the light. She wanted these flowers to die as soon as possible.

She turned around and pasted a fake smile on her face. "Is there a reason you're here so early?"

The blonde boy shrugged. "Not really. I know you said that you couldn't do private lessons, but I figured if I came earlier in the morning when you arrive, we could spend some one on one time discussing the gift of live births, and the process that creates young children."

She almost gagged in disgust, while Gaara was left, furious, in the doorway. "Well, not that that doesn't sound fascinating, but I was going to have a meeting with Gaara and go over what will need to be changed here at the hospital." She began to shove him out the door. "So if you don't mind, you'll just have to come back in an hour, when class begins." She pulled the silent, fuming redhead into the room, in order to shut and lock the door quickly. She leaned against the door and let out a tired sigh.

"As if I don't have enough things to deal with already, I have a creepy child begging for my attention, in a non-professional manner."

"Do you want me to kill him?" Gaara asked seriously, his face nothing but stern. Then he immediately sobered and shook his head, as if ridding himself of inner demons. "Sorry…old habits."

She blinked, only slightly alarmed at that comment but decided to let it go since he seemed back to normal. Smiling, she decided to pick on the redhead a bit. "Well, maybe not kill him per se, I think it would be more satisfying if we tortured him first." She said with a sly look.

"We do have some old century torture devices and chambers beneath the Kazekage tower, in the basement. You wouldn't be able to hear him scream," he explained eagerly, taking a step closer to her.

She gave him an alarmed look. "Um, Gaara, I was just kidding. He'll probably leave me alone eventually, and besides, I'll be going home soon, so I won't have to deal with him."

Every muscle in his body tensed at her words. Why did he feel so distressed? "Right, you'll be leaving in just a few days…" he repeated, hands now formed into tight fists. "Well. I'll just take those papers now. I should be leaving."

He seemed uptight now, more so than he had been, almost like he was agitated. "Oh, alright…" she said, a bit confused. She took the papers out of a drawer in her desk, switching into business mode.

"Here's a list of the equipment you will need to get in order to update your hospital with, and where to get it, and on this page is a list of all the nursing staff and their skill levels. If you need any help understanding any of it just ask me. I can also put together some workbooks or something to leave behind, that way they can keep practicing what I taught them." She explained, pointing to the various papers.

"Of course, whatever you think is best Sakura. I give you full freedom in this…I guess, I'll see you later then." He took the papers from her slowly, almost as if he had something else to say. He nodded and turned to leave, unlocking the door, only to be faced with another bundle of red roses.

"Sakura-chan! I just want to show you how much I-" Sosuke stopped, starring wide eyed at the Kazekage from behind the flowers. Gaara's glare set back into place, fire burning up his insides at the sight. He pushed past the boy, nearly knocking him off his balance as he headed out of the hospital.

She stared after the redhead, perplexed. Why was he so upset? Was it because of Sosuke? Or was something on his mind? Turning back to Sosuke, she was about to shoot him down when another one of her students walked in. Grateful for the interruption, she immediately struck up a conversation with the girl. Sosuke merely placed the vase of roses on her desk, and, when he wasn't looking, she put them in a drawer. She loved getting flowers, but, in this case, she hated it.

Class that day continued as usual. Today she had decided to teach them about the various types of poisons. Not all of them, because that would take too much time, but the basic ones, and their antidotes. She didn't want another situation to happen similar to that of Kankuro's and Temari's, because she may not be there in time to save them. So far, today was going to be a long day.

It was just after lunchtime, not too late in the afternoon, when there was a soft tap on the door. It swung open to reveal the most beautiful, colorful, and complex arrangement of flowers. It was so large that it hid the person carrying them completely. The mass of flora moved forward, and Sakura just stared in awe. If this was Sosuke's doing then he had definitely stepped up his game.

The flowers made their way to the teacher's desk and were set down with only little difficulty. That was when Ino popped out from the jungle of beauty. "Hello Sakura! Special delivery! Just for you." She smiled, holding out a card for her.

Sakura laughed and took the envelope carefully, watching her bubbling friend. "What are you doing Ino? Why are you delivering flowers?"

The blonde scoffed with a roll of her eyes, "Please Sakura, I'm a florist! Gaara's letting me run the flower shop in the village. And this is a special delivery for you!"

Sakura looked at the flowers once more, noting all the giggling and squeals coming from her class. She could just see Sosuke from the corner of her eye and the look on his face was far from proud. A smile grew on her face at this new knowledge. Thank God they weren't from him. That alone seemed to make them even more beautiful.

She focused on her gift again, letting her fingers brush over the delicate petals. It was so beautiful, most of the arrangement was white, being the filler flowers of the bouquet. But what caught her eye the most were the other two types of flowers. There were large azaleas littered throughout the piece that were the same color as her hair, and beautiful blood red tulips where the azaleas were not. She could only recall the name of one of the white flowers filling all the space the pink and red did not, it was tuberose, but that meant dangerous pleasure, didn't it?

"Hey Ino…what does the tuberose symbolize again?" she asked her friend, who was eyeing the flowers happily.

"Dangerous pleasure," she purred, locking her gaze with her best friend.

Sakura let out a small laugh and tried to hide the awkwardness from her face. Who would send her this beautiful present? She tore the envelope open and pulled out the card inside. All it said was, _Here, I thought these were pretty._

Sakura felt the huge blush crawling up her face. She recognized this clean crisp handwriting. "Sakura-sama!" a girl giggled loudly, waving her hand in the air. "Who are they from? They are so beautiful!"

She tried to gulp and wet her throat so she could speak. "Well, it looks like the Kazekage was just sending me a nice gift," she barely got out, her face only getting darker. Nearly all the girls in the class squealed with excitement, even some of the guys were nodding in approval. Sosuke looked furious, one upped by his _perfect_ Kazekage. The boy crossed his arms and glared off, not wanting to see his sensei's reaction to the flowers.

"Wow," Sakura finally let out a deep breath. "These are gorgeous."

Ino leaned on Sakura's desk and laughed loudly, "Yeah, Gaara came by this morning and asked for my help in the perfect arrangement for you. But he told me absolutely no roses." The blonde straightened and let her face fall into a stoic impersonation. "If I find one rose in that arrangement I assure you, I will show you the true meaning of pain." She laughed again, breaking her act as Gaara.

Sakura began to laugh with her friend, picturing Gaara saying exactly that. So that was why he was cranky this morning. "Thanks Ino. These are beautiful." She began to admire the arrangement some more, trying to list their meanings in her head. The red tulips were a declaration of love…..she stopped mid thought. Leaning towards her best friend, she whispered, "Ino…..what do all of these flowers mean?"

The blonde smiled, and began to list the meanings happily, counting them out on her fingers. "Well, the Azaleas mean take care of yourself for me and fragile passion. The white ones, like the Lily of the Valleys, means you make my life complete, Tulips are a declaration of love, the white Ranunculus means you are radiant and charming, and you already know what the Tuberose means."

The blush returned to her face, as her left eye began to twitch. "Ino…..you didn't tell Gaara what these meant, did you?"

Ino waved her hand in dismissal. "Of course not, I value my life too much to tell him. Besides, HE picked all the flowers, I just put them all together."

"Oh." She said, astonished.

Waving, Ino began to leave the room. "Well, I'll let you get back to your class! I have some more deliveries to make anyways." And with that, she shut the door behind her.

Turning back to the class, she saw that they were all giving her weird looks. Ignoring them, she continued the lesson. "So, what do I do when I see a herb shaped like this in the poison? Can anyone tell me?"

Class continued like this for the rest of the day. About every five minutes or so, she couldn't help but look at her desk, and the flowers on it. Every time she did, a smile crawled up her face as she thought of the moody redhead who had sent them to her. She couldn't wait to see him tonight.

Just as they entered the last fifteen minutes of class, Sakura began to walk around and examine everyone's work. They were currently trying to find the antidote to a standard poison she had given them. As she began to walk back towards the front, she felt a slight pressure on her rear. Turning around swiftly, she saw Sosuke whip his hand underneath his desk. Not wanting to cause a scene in front of everyone, she decided to let them out early.

"Class, since you've done so well today you can leave early. Take the poisons with you if you want, but you must bring the completed antidote in the morning." She instructed. Happy to leave early, they all scrambled out of the classroom. When her blonde stalker began to rise from his seat, she gave him a pointed look. "Except you, Sosuke. We have something to discuss."

Taking her words for a different meaning, said young man made his way to her desk eagerly, sending a not-so-inconspicuous glare towards the arrangement Gaara had sent her. "What is it Sakura-chan?"

She gave him a serious look. "Did you grope me in the middle of class?"

Giving her an innocent look, he said "Why, did you like it?"

"No, I did not like it, nor appreciate it. Things like that are not appropriate for a classroom setting." She said sternly.

Mistaking her words, once again, Sosuke began to advance on her, causing her to back into her desk. "I see. So you kept me afterwards so that we could continue my groping? That way nobody else will see or hear us, if we accidentally make some noises."

It was officially time for her to, once again, throw somebody through a wall. Snaking her hand up his chest, she gave him a coy look. He began to lean towards her, when she gripped the material fiercely, and yanked him off the floor.

"Listen and listen good squirt. I do _not_ appreciate any of your advancements towards me. You are young and creepy, and, in all honesty, you talk too much for my liking. I'm more of the strong, silent type of girl. On top of that, you have been interrupting _my_ time with Gaara, and I really don't appreciate that either." She seethed.

Sosuke merely gave her a suggestive look. "Is this some kind of foreplay? Cause' I kinda like it."

Shrieking at his stupidity and one track mind, she directed a concentrated amount of chakra to her fist, and threw him through the back wall of the classroom, shattering the vase of roses he had given her in the process. She walked towards the human shaped hole, and peeked through it, wanting to see how far he had gone. He was nowhere to be seen, thank God. That meant that he would be too wounded to come to class for the rest of her stay.

She brushed the filth that was Sosuke off her hands and walked back to her desk, humming to herself. Before Gaara could get there, she took the other roses out of her desk drawer and threw them through the hole Sosuke had created with his impact.

Just as she finished straightening up the classroom, the door opened, and Gaara walked in without a word, stopping by her desk. The huge hole in the back of the classroom drew his attention immediately, "I see that young man stayed after for his lesson." He smirked victoriously, crossing his arms as he closed his eyes contently.

She decided not to tell Gaara the reason why she had thrown Sosuke through the window. It would only cause him to kill the boy, and that would put a damper on his Kage image. "Well, he was persistent on learning something other than medical jutsu." She said with a shrug. Then, giving the redhead a mischievous look, she directed her attention to the arrangement on her desk.

"Did you see the flowers I got today? Aren't they the most beautiful things you've ever seen?" she asked, reaching a hand out and stroking one of the petals fondly.

Nonchalantly, Gaara peeked at the flowers with only one eye, finally setting his full attention on them. "Oh yes. I guess I noticed them as I walked in. They are nice, who sent them?" he glanced back at her, trying to keep the smirk off his face.

"Oh I don't know. Some admirer I guess. I just hope he's not a creeper like Sosuke was." She replied, trying to keep her appearance uncaring.

At the mention of the annoyance, Gaara's gaze turned into a sharp glare, and his aura became more threatening. Noticing his change in demeanor, she walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm, smiling at him tentatively. "It's okay Gaara, I'll just throw the sucker through a wall if I have to. I'm actually getting pretty good at it."

He looked away from her, focusing on the wall. He didn't want to show that he was comforted by her. He was the Kazekage after all, and he didn't need someone to calm him, or worry about him. But he could already feel the lie in his thoughts. "I know." He said softly. He almost wished he had gone through with his plan of watching her get the flowers and seeing her reaction.

"So…you liked them…?" he asked warily, trying to avoid her eyes.

She reached her hand up and turned his face towards hers, smiling at him tenderly. "I _loved_ them. It was the _perfect_ thing to brighten up my day and make me smile."

He stared sadly at her green eyes, something clearly on his mind, but she knew he wouldn't say it. He sighed and placed his hand over hers, leaving it there. She was just so warm. "I am…glad."

Eventually they left the hospital, Sakura chatting amiably while Gaara listened intently. After a while, he noticed that they weren't heading in the direction of the house. "Where are we going?" he inquired.

Slightly annoyed that he hadn't been listening to her this morning, Sakura thought that the answer was obvious. It was his village after all, he should know where they were headed. "I told you this morning we had some shopping to do. I just figured we'd get it done on our way home so that I can make dinner later."

Gaara's eye twitched as he looked down her, trying to find some way out of this horrid event. Then an idea hit him, "Oh! Sakura…how absentminded of me. I forgot that I had promised to meet Naruto and Kiba…to…to…" he was trying say it, but the idea was so horrendous that he almost didn't go through with it. "To…train." He finally forced out, trying to control the twitching of his eye.

Hope and happiness lit up her eyes. "Really? You want to hang out with them of your own free will?" Throwing her hands up in the air, she shouted. "This is great! I know just where to find them! Come on!" She grabbed onto his arm and pulled him in the direction of the food district.

"You do?" he yelled, this not being what he had expected. He had planned to escape and keep to himself until arriving home, but now, once Naruto had his hands on him, there would be no escape. If Gaara was any less of a man, he would have cried.

They arrived outside a ramen stand, and, before they could enter, Naruto appeared. "Sakura-chan! Gaara! I haven't seen you guys in forever! What are you doing here? Did you come for some ramen?"

Sakura shook her head negatively. "No, Gaara said you guys were going to train today." Turning from the blonde, she placed her hand on the redhead's arm. "Now, you go have fun, and try not to kill them. I'm going to go shopping and make dinner, which you _better_ be home for, because I'm making you a special treat." She said with a forceful smile.

The redhead eyed her suspiciously. He placed his free hand on the small of her back and brought her closer, breathing in her scent. "I'll try and make it quick." He smirked. How fond he was of her closeness and her nervous tendencies when they were near.

A light blush dusted her cheeks at their proximity. She leaned closer to his face and smiled. "Very well. Don't keep me waiting long, or I'll have to start without you."

He smiled back and let her pull away from him, "See you later then. Have a nice time boys!" Sakura gave them a wave, before heading off. Kiba was now beside Naruto, eyeing the two suspiciously. Once Sakura disappeared Gaara turned to face the Konoha shinobi, a bored and annoyed look already plastered on his face.

"NOT FRIENDS!" Kiba yelled, flailing around the stand. "NOT FRIENDS!" he kept screaming, until he ran straight into a wall of sand. Gaara glared threateningly at the brunette. What the heck was his problem anyway?

"Come on," the redhead sighed, and started walking towards a training ground. Naruto went with him and Kiba slowly followed, rubbing his now sore face.

Naruto eyed his friend, suspicion evident in his gaze. "Hey Gaara, what's going on between you and Sakura-chan anyways?"

Gaara laughed and shook his head, catching his friend's accusing gaze. "I'm not sure what you mean Naruto."

"NOT FRIENDS!"

"Kiba!" Naruto roared, giving the dog lover a silencing look. "Please." He sighed and put his focus back on Gaara. "I think you do Gaara. You treat Sakura-chan differently than you do everyone else. You guys act like a married couple, for goodness sake!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation.

"What?" the redhead went wide eyed. That was impossible. He didn't treat Sakura differently…did he?

Kiba scoffed and nodded, "Seriously, it s like…if I ever saw you guys making out, I would not be surprised."

"But!" Gaara was flabbergasted. He had no idea what to say. That wasn't how things were between him and Sakura. "Naruto, you know that she is in love with that Uchiha." It seemed that was his only defense against these accusations.

"Don't give me that crap Gaara. This has nothing to do with how Sakura-chan feels and you know it! This is about your feelings towards her. It's obvious to me that she cares deeply for you, and I need to know where you stand. I don't want her to get the wrong idea and wind up hurt in the end, because if you hurt her Gaara, so help me I _will_ kill you." The blonde said with fierce conviction.

Gaara's hand shot forward and grabbed Naruto by the front of his jacket, his hateful glare set in place and focused on the fox demon. "You listen here Uzumaki and you listen good." He seethed, bringing their faces closer, so their contrasting eyes were the only thing visible. "I would never harm Sakura, ever, _ever_ again. You have no idea what it's like to see pain on her face and be the one to cause it. I've almost killed her multiple times, I've made her cry, and I've made her sad. Now that I have been with her, and seen her smile, I will do my best to never see that smile fade. So don't you threaten me! Because I will kill you if you even attempt such a thing!" he yelled, making both Kiba and Naruto go wide eyed.

Growling softly, Naruto fisted his hand in Gaara's shirt as well. "Don't tell me I have no idea what it's like to see her cry! I've known Sakura-chan a lot longer than you have! How do you think I felt, watching her cry day after day when Sasuke left, and not being able to do anything about it? I promised her that I would bring him back to her, and every time I tried, I failed! Do you know how painful it was to know that I had let her down? And she didn't even blame me! She wasn't mad, or disappointed, but I could see the sadness, like a shadow in her eyes. I will _not_ allow that to happen to her again. All I'm asking is that, if she gives you her heart, you better do your best not to break it."

"You stupid fox!" Gaara growled, his grip tightening. With a swift move that Naruto was not expecting, the redhead threw the blonde ninja away from him, slamming him into a nearby wall. He stormed after him, stomping on his chest as Naruto tried to get up. "It doesn't even matter Naruto! She came all this way for the Uchiha." He fumed, only growing angrier by the moment. "She wants _him_ Naruto! It does not matter how I feel about her, _if_ I did feel anything like that for her. You whine and complain on how you can't bring her Sasuke and how your failure is what makes her sad! Have you ever caused her physical pain Naruto? Have you? I tried to kill her seven years ago, I tried to kill her four days ago." He smirked, though the blonde could see the pain in his friends face. "It doesn't matter." He repeated, stepping down harder. "And as if you of all people could tell me anything of those emotions. You're so stupid that you can't even tell that a kind, caring woman has been in love with you since before I even met you I'm sure. Yet you're so blind to her and brush her off as if she was nothing more than a friend!"

In a move too swift for the naked eye to follow, Naruto threw Gaara off of him, and pinned him to the ground with a hand on his throat. "Don't call me a stupid fox you temperamental, idiotic raccoon! All you have to do is make her want _you_! You already treat her way better than Sasuke ever did, even on his best days! Step up your game!" he yelled. Then he got off the redhead, realizing what else Gaara had said. He gave his friend a confused look. "Are you talking about Hinata-chan? There's no way she would like me, I'm not good enough for her."

"Don't call me an idiotic raccoon!" Gaara reached up with both his arms and wrapped his hands around Naruto's throat, rolling over him and pinning him to the ground once more.

"You forgot temperamental," Kiba chimed in, raising a finger. Sand slammed Kiba into a wall and he let out a painful groan.

"I am _not_ temperamental!" he glared over at the brunette and then focused down on the blonde beneath him. "I don't want her to want me! I'm bad! I can't care for people Naruto, you know that. I could never give her what she needs." His grip tightened, but he looked down from his friend's sorrowful gaze. "Naruto…God you're so stupid it pisses me off. Hinata is completely in love with you, if even I can see that it must be true. If anyone is good for anyone Naruto, it's you. You're good, and you care too much about people, and you're loud, but you want to know what people are thinking. How can you just sit there and do nothing when she offers you a future and so much more?"

"You can too care for people Gaara! You and I are friends, and we share a bond that nobody will ever be able to understand but us. That in itself is caring. On top of that, you flipped out when Temari was injured by Sasuke, and that shows that you care for her, as your older sister. And don't even tell me that you don't care about Sakura, because that would just be a lie, and friends don't lie to each other….much." he pried the redhead's hands off his neck, flipping them over again in the process, pinning Gaara's hands on each side of his head. He looked into his friend's eyes in desperation. "You could be just what Sakura-chan needs! _You_ think of others before yourself. _You_ care about the consequences of your actions. _You_ listen to her, argue with her, _and_ prove her wrong. Sasuke _can't_ do any of that." A thoughtful look overcame his face then. "Actually, I don't think anyone's ever been able to prove Sakura-chan wrong, so you're already one step ahead of the game."

His face became solemn once more. "There's no way that Hinata-chan could love me. I'm a monster Gaara. Maybe I didn't go all crazy as a child like you did, but I've hurt people. I almost killed Sakura-chan once, trying to get Sasuke back. I didn't recognize her, I was so far gone. And she lied to me, because she didn't want me to think any less of myself." His voice was barely a whisper now. "I would _never_ be able to live with myself if I did something like that to Hinata-chan. Never."

Gaara sat up as much as he could manage and slammed his forehead against Naruto's, causing him to fall back in pain and release the sand master. The redhead stood quickly as Naruto recovered, getting up as well. They glared each other down, until a loud whistle distracted them from one another. A large white dog landed next to Kiba, "Come on Akamaru, time to beat some sense into these morons." He smirked. Akamaru barked and faced the other two men.

"Let's go!" he yelled placing his hand on Akamaru's back. In a massive puff of smoke, a giant two headed white dog emerged snarling at the two.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Gaara yelled, running back as the enormous animal pounced on Naruto, grabbing him up by the shirt with his vicious fangs and sending him off into a wall. The dog turned its head and located Gaara, who paled as the dog leapt from its place in attempt to pounce. His sand went up instantly, forming a protective shield around him, but the impact dented the ground in. Seeing that the jump had not affected the Kazekage, Kiba and Akamaru swatted the sand ball across the area. The shield slammed against the wall and Gaara fell from it, the shock from the hit breaking his concentration. He landed on the ground painfully, only to find that he had landed on Naruto.

There was another explosion of smoke and Kiba and the dog came out, the brunette angrier than ever. "You two are _so_ annoying! Shut up and suck up your stupid insecurities! Naruto good God, Hinata _is _in love with you! So be a man, deal with it, and just tell her how you feel!"

Kiba shifted his angry glare to the redhead now. "Gaara, are you just plain retarded? It couldn't be more obvious that Sakura and you have something going on. How about you get off your damn high horse, with your 'I don't have feelings' bullshit and just tell the girl how you feel!"

They just stared at him, almost afraid he would go back into his crazy dog state. Gaara finally stood, brushing the sand and dirt off his clothes and walking off. "I don't need advice from you idiots! Leave me alone and don't tell me what to do!"

Naruto stood abruptly and stared angrily after his friend. "Don't you walk away from this Gaara!" he turned to Kiba and flailed his arms high in the air. "And you're crazy! You're all crazy!" and with that the blonde disappeared as well.

Kiba sighed and crossed his arms stubbornly, "I hate guys." He muttered, giving Akamaru a scratch behind the ears. "Come on boy, let's go find Ino." He sighed and walked off with the dog.

Sakura had only been shopping for about thirty minutes when she felt a familiar presence in the marketplace. Looking around, she saw Naruto, visibly fuming. She ran up to him, worried that something had happened to Gaara. "Naruto! What's wrong? Did something happen to Gaara?" she asked, panic evident in her voice.

"Don't even talk to me about that jerk!" the fox boy growled. "He's too stubborn to realize what's right in front of him! How dare he accuse me of being blind!"

Now Sakura was confused. Did they get into an argument before even training? It was evident by Naruto's appearance that he had gotten into some sort of a scuffle. Great, she thought with a roll of her eyes. They had gotten into a real fight, and now she would have to fix it.

"Naruto, what are you talking about? Why would Gaara call you blind?" she asked, wanting to know the details.

The blonde merely crossed his arms. "He says that ever since he's known me it was obvious that Hinata-chan is in love with me. And that if some emotionally repressed person such as him can realize it before I do, I'm blind and stupid." He gave her a pouting look. "But Sakura-chan! That doesn't even make sense! I'm a monster! I hurt you, and I could hurt Hinata-chan, and-"

She grabbed him by the collar and began to shake him furiously, interrupting his rant. "Oh for the love of God Naruto! You of all people deserve the love of Hinata! You two are perfect for each other! Why wouldn't she love you? You are kind and brave and strong, exactly what a gentle soul like hers needs. Why do you think she blushes and faints around you all the time? It's not a condition or anything, just something that happens when you're around, or your name is mentioned. Hinata has been in love with you since we were in the Academy. Maybe even before that."

He simply stared at her, dumbfounded. "But…if Hinata-chan is in love with me, then why doesn't she say so? She has never really given me any indication that she loves me."

She rolled her eyes, frustrated with her friend. "Gaara was right Naruto, you are blind. Hinata has _always_ believed in you. Even when everyone else treated you like a monster, she didn't. She loves you for who _you_ are, _not_ what you have done for the village. She's never told you because she doesn't think that you care for her in any way, other than just a friend, and she doesn't want to be hurt. I understand where she's coming from."

"B-but Sakura-chan, I don't even know how I feel about Hinata-chan. I never really considered her as anything other than a friend." The blonde stuttered out.

She let go of his jacket and stepped away. "It really isn't any of my business Naruto. It's something that you need to figure out on your own. Just try and think about all the times you and Hinata have hung out. That will help you. Now, if you don't mind, I really need to finish my shopping and make dinner." With that she walked away, leaving a less upset but really confused jinchuuriki behind.

Not really knowing where to go, he walked around the town aimlessly, avoiding all places that Gaara might be. He needed to think, and the best way for him to do so was to eat some ramen. Going back to the stand he had frequented so often, he quickly ordered himself a bowl and sat down. Once it was given to him, he began to think.

He liked hanging out with Hinata, because she always listened to what he had to say, no matter how stupid it was. She never called him names, and always had something encouraging to say. Whenever he was feeling down, she made him feel better.

He dropped his chopsticks as he remembered that day at the hospital. He was on the verge of letting the Kyuubi take over, in order to kill the woman who had upset the Hyuuga heiress. It was as if the beast within him didn't want to see her cry either. But, without words, Hinata had calmed his inner demon. Then, later that day, they had held hands the entire time. He wasn't really thinking about it, only conscious that he enjoyed the feeling. And she had looked absolutely stunning at Sakura's party. He had been too nervous to ask her to dance with him, but he wasn't above dragging her onto the floor every time another man looked at her. At the time, he had simply told himself that he was protecting her.

He swallowed, forgetting his favorite food entirely. He had always cared for Hinata as a friend, that much was certain. But now that he was thinking about it, maybe he did feel something more for her. He didn't really know what love like that was, having never experienced it before, and he wanted to be sure before making his move.

Getting up and leaving his food unfinished, Naruto walked off to find Kakashi. He needed some advice about girls, and his perverted sensei was the best person to ask. Because if he was going to woo Hinata, and prove to himself that she loved him, he was going to do it the right way.

* * *

Gaara had taken a spot on the walls of Suna, looking out at the vast desert. It was one of the many places he liked to sit and sort out his thoughts. He leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out an irritated sigh. He didn't understand why he was acting this way. He didn't understand how he felt. He just didn't understand anything anymore. It was as if his world was tossed around in a box and thrown down in a basement.

He felt the other presence as soon as it arrived, and he turned his face towards the left, seeing the woman whom he had just been speaking of. "Hinata." He said calmly, getting the dark haired girl's attention. More like startling her as he made his presence known.

"Oh…Gaara-sama…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to interrupt." She apologized softly, turning away, already retreating.

"Hinata, it's alright you can stay here if you wish." He gestured for her to sit next to him, and she could not refuse now that he had offered. She sat silently, hanging her feet over the edge and staring out at the orange sky, the sunset playing many colors off the horizon.

"It's actually…quite lovely out here in the desert." Hinata said timidly, at peace with the changing colors of the sky.

Gaara glanced back at her, nodding. He thought Suna was beautiful in its own, but he imagined that was just because he lived here. Hinata looked away from the sunset and let her pale milky eyes meet his sad green ones. "Gaara-sama, are you alright? You seem very sad."

He was taken aback by her question. It seemed a very bold thing for the Hyuuga heiress to do, and almost out of character. Then again she was very kind, and that was what kind people did, wasn't it? "No, I'm fine." He lied, looking away from her now.

Hinata couldn't help but laugh, even though it was a small, quiet one. "You're a very bad liar Gaara-sama, did you know that?" she smiled. It was odd having someone be so nice to him or care about what he was thinking. Well…it was odd for anyone other than Sakura to do it.

"Am I?" he wondered, a small smile coming across his own face.

"Yes." She said simply, with another small laugh. "You know that your village is beautiful, there are so many nice areas to sit and be able to watch the sky. It's very relaxing." She nodded and faced forward once again.

They were silent then, neither bothered by it really, but there was an odd tension in the air. "Hinata," Gaara began, getting her attention once more. "You love Naruto right?"

Hinata could feel her face get warmer, and it wasn't from the desert heat. "Um…w-what?" she stuttered, something she hadn't done in awhile.

"Naruto. Do you love him? I mean, I see you when you're with him. How you react is…different than with other people. I just wanted to know if you did and…" he stopped, lacing his fingers together and squeezing his hands tightly. "How do you know…when you love someone?"

Her face was still beet red from the talk of Naruto, but the look on Gaara's face seemed to bring her out of her shell a bit, making her realize this wasn't really about that. "Is this about Sakura?"

"What?" Gaara almost yelled, facing away from her. Something felt off about his face and he didn't want this girl seeing anything different in his demeanor. Unfortunately, it was a bit late for that. "Why do you say that? Sakura loves Sasuke. I really don't know why you're pushing this subject." He crossed his arms and growled darkly.

Despite his threatening tone, his answer confirmed her suspicions about what was going on. "Would you like to talk about it?" she asked kindly, making sure he knew it was his choice.

"It's just. Everyone keeps saying I treat Sakura differently than I do everyone else, but we're just friends. Naruto is accusing me of having feelings for her, but she's in love with Sasuke, so what does it matter? Not that I have feelings of course, I just don't see why he keeps pushing it." He sighed, wondering why he was even talking about this aloud. "But…I do care for her…deeply. I don't want anything bad to happen to her. It's just irritating because I know she wants that Uchiha so badly."

"Gaara-sama," Hinata hesitantly lifted her hand, setting it on his arm. "You _do_ treat Sakura differently, you protect her from things and people." She smiled, "You two are very, very close, and I feel that maybe there is something there. Even if Sakura still cares for Sasuke, I know she cares for you as well. More than you might think."

He gave her a skeptical look, "I doubt that,"

"I don't." Hinata smiled. She couldn't help but giggle at him, and then her face fell into sadness as she remembered what had happened. "When you disappeared…do you know what Sakura did?" she asked. After a moment of silence he shook his head as a no. "No one saw Sakura when you were gone. Ino told me she went to go make sure she was alright, and all she got was a door slammed in her face. The next day Naruto-kun and I went to visit her, and the only words that came out of her mouth were 'Where's Gaara?'. And when she saw you were not with us she slammed the door in our faces as well. Temari-san told Ino and myself that when she went to go get Sakura ready, she was like a lifeless puppet."

Gaara looked away from the girl and tried to focus on something, anything, remembering that she had looked dead when she had come down with Temari that night. Could it have been his presence that brought her life back? No, of course it wasn't, there had to be another explanation.

Hinata stood and gave Gaara a comforting smile. "Gaara-sama, maybe you should just think of what Sakura means to you, or how you felt when you were gone, and then whatever is bothering you will go away. And, maybe you should ask Sakura how she feels about Sasuke, instead of just assuming that her feelings are the same as they were seven years ago. People change over time, you are a perfect example of that." She waved and walked off, leaving the redhead with nothing but his thoughts.

Sakura was important to him, he wanted to protect her…more than anything. But still, did he have feelings like that for her? She made him angry a lot, but she was nice, and she also made him happy as well. When he had danced with her, it seemed like they were the only two in the world. He just didn't understand. He wanted to do things for her, make her laugh and smile. And…he had missed her, so much, when they were apart for those two long days. "I just don't know," he finally admitted aloud, resting his head in his open palms.

* * *

After her strange encounter with Naruto earlier, Sakura had been worried about Gaara. But, he had promised that he would be home for dinner, so she didn't worry too much. Humming softly to herself, she began to put together the kebabs. She had heard from Temari that this was one of his favorite foods, and she wanted to treat him, since he had given her those beautiful flowers earlier.

Getting into the song she was humming, she began to sway and dance her way around the kitchen, grabbing the various kebab items, and putting together the plates, making them pretty for presentation.

Sakura was just finishing, arranging the kebabs on their plates when strong arms wrapped around her stomach, brining her back against a warm body. Gaara rested his cheek on her shoulder and took in her scent. He vowed silently never to ditch shopping with her again, because apparently…there _were_ worse things in the world. "I made it…" he said softly, trying not to think too much on his fight with Naruto and his talk with Hinata. It was easier just to leave things as they were than complicate them by investigating his feelings.

Smiling, she turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. "So you did." She glanced down at the plates. "I made kebabs for dinner…I hope you like them."

He pulled her closer, if possible, and looked at the food waiting. A small smile formed on his face, and he wondered how she found out he really liked shish kebabs. "They look great. I'm really hungry."

Sakura pulled away from him and grabbed both the plates. "Well then sit down and we'll eat." She smiled up at him. He took a seat and then dug into the meal she had prepared for him.

He picked up one of the kebabs and tore some of the meat off, tossing it in his mouth and chewing slowly. Thoughts of the day's events kept invading his mind, and before he could stop himself he found himself asking, "So Sakura…I talked with Hinata today…and…" he stopped. He didn't want to put himself on the line, "Hinata asked me to ask you if you were still in love with Sasuke." He mumbled out quickly.

She choked on her food, and almost began to laugh at what he had said. She knew that it was really him who wanted to know, not Hinata. The fact that he had attempted to throw the onyx haired girl under a bus reminded her of when she was a child, and friends would have a friend ask others if they liked them for them. She swallowed, and answered his question as nonchalantly as she could.

"Well, you can tell Hinata that if she wants to know so badly, she can ask me herself. I won't have her using you as a messenger. That's so childish." Then she picked up another kebab, and began to eat it.

Gaara tried to keep his cool with his failed attempt at investigating. "Alright. I'll be sure to tell her." He forced out, shoving a charred pepper into his mouth and closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and began to count backwards, now he was childish? He simply huffed, not wanting to talk anymore, since his plan was ruined.

Stifling a laugh, she took a drink of her water. "But…..I suppose I could tell you the answer to the question, since I'm such a nice person…unless you don't want to be bothered with such trivial things." She finished, face becoming serious.

He watched her warily, pondering on whether or not he should take the bait. Why not? He cleared his throat and pretended not to care…too much. "Well if you would like to talk, I will listen. It's not a bother at all." He shrugged, acting as if it were a simple conversation of preferring blue or red.

"Well, as you know I used to claim that I was in love with Sasuke as a genin." She started. When she saw Gaara give a stiff nod at her words, she continued. "I was devastated when he left, and for days I couldn't think of anything but him. Was he alright? Did he regret his choice? Did he even miss me and Naruto?" she sighed. "But in the end, I realized that if I wanted him to come back, I would have to become stronger. I was tired of standing on the sidelines and watching people fight my battles for me." She paused, considering what to say next.

"It wasn't until we ran into Sasuke when I was fifteen that I realized he wasn't the same person anymore. There was absolutely no emotion in his eyes. And, even though I had trained for two years, I couldn't do anything to bring him back." She slammed her fist on the table, but not hard enough to damage it. Then her face softened, as she was swept away by her memories. "Shortly after that I realized that I didn't love him anymore. I had always admired his strength, and in my naivety, I might have mistaken it for love. I felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders when I discovered this. I didn't need to worry about Sasuke, because it's not like he cares about me, right?"

She pushed her food around on her plate, a bit embarrassed about everything she was revealing to the redhead. But this needed to be done, if Gaara was ever going to trust her fully. "I mean, I do love Sasuke, but I'm not _in_ love with him. I love him as a fellow teammate, and that is the only reason I want him to live and come back to Konoha with me. That way Naruto won't have to be burdened with the task anymore, and he will finally be able to move on and become Hokage."

She chuckled slightly. "Although, I do need to thank him some day."

Gaara had remained silent and still up until this point, the statement sparking his interest greatly. "Thank him?"

"If he hadn't left, or treated me the way he did, I wouldn't be who I am today. I never would have asked Tsunade-shishou to make me her apprentice, or pushed myself as hard as I did. I guess you could say that his betrayal gave me a push in the right direction." She gave Gaara a small smile. "If you really think about it, if he hadn't left, we wouldn't have become friends, and I wouldn't be sitting here right now, sharing dinner with you."

"I see," He hadn't considered that. It was true she was only here because he had captured the rogue Uchiha. If Sasuke had never left, he would have never attacked him, and Sakura would most certainly not be in Suna right now. He hated to think of it that way. Never having Sakura? He couldn't imagine that, but he could feel how lonely it would have been. "Yes…that makes sense. I'm glad." He nodded, not really thinking of what he was saying. Because he most certainly wasn't glad she had been mistreated and hurt by Sasuke.

She smiled. "Me too. So, did I answer your question well enough?"

"Yes, you did." Catching himself, he realized that he had given himself away. "I mean, Hinata will be most grateful with my results."

She propped her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand, raising a brow at him. "Oh really? Because, since Hinata and I are so close, she already knew all that, since I told both her and Ino when I realized it. It's how girls are."

He paled visibly. Caught in his lie, he decided to do what all men do in these kinds of situations. He took all the meat and vegetables off one of the kebabs and shoved it in his mouth, pretending to be too preoccupied to give her any more ammunition.

She began to laugh hysterically. He looked like a cute little raccoon that was saving up food for the winter. Her eyes began to tear up, and eventually, she fell out of her chair, the situation too funny to remain sitting. Gaara simply glared at her, cheeks still full with food. It seemed this idea had backfired on him as well. He chewed and swallowed quickly. "Are you quite finished?" he asked tersely.

She got back up and sat in her chair, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yes. It's just, you looked so adorable a second ago. I didn't realize you enjoyed my cooking so much as to shove it all in your mouth." At this, she began to giggle again.

He opened his mouth to correct her. That it wasn't how much he loved her food, though it was very delicious, but so he wouldn't have to speak anymore. He decided to let her have her moment, even if that wasn't it. "Yes, well. It is very good." He started on his last kebab, trying to focus on his plate and not her. He was thinking now on what she had told him again. Something inside him twisted, he knew he would regret his generosity later on. "Sakura…" he started, still hesitant. "Tomorrow…would you like to see the Uchiha…I mean, Sasuke?" He finally forced out.

Her laughter stopped instantly, and the look on her face now was one of shock. Had she heard him right? "What?"

He didn't look happy about it, but he took a deep breath and repeated himself, something he _really_ hated doing. "Tomorrow, if you would like, I will take you to see Sasuke."

"You will?" she asked with a hopeful look. Realizing that he might mistake her hope for different feelings, despite what she had just told him, she continued, "I mean, I know you don't like Sasuke, and I don't want you to do anything you don't want to."

"It's fine…besides, you still won't know where he is. I'll be taking you there with my sand," he explained, now averting his eyes. He should have expected her happiness, but he hadn't planned on it hurting this bad. Finishing his last kebab, he moved to get up. "Well it's been a long day, I think I'll go ahead and go to sleep."

She stood up as well. "Wait!" She ran into the kitchen, clinking noises being heard. Shortly after, she ran back out holding two bowls in her hands. She held one out to the confused redhead. "I made you some ice cream!" Holding out her bowl, she began to talk excitedly. "Look! I even figured out how to make chocolate!" she exclaimed, almost bouncing in her happiness.

He took it from her slowly, a little afraid to try. But she looked so excited, and he didn't want to disappoint her. Slowly he sat back down and took his spoon, getting some of the ice cream and sticking it in his mouth. He blinked, for the first time in front of Sakura, shock all over his face. "You learned how to make salty ice cream?"

She nodded eagerly. "Uh-huh! I asked one of the ice cream vendors to give me a recipe. When I told her what it was for, she was more than happy to oblige. It was a bit too sour for my taste though, when I made the first batch, so I improved it a bit. Do you like it? I made it because I wanted to make you happy, the way you did me with the flowers." She finished, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

He stopped eating and stared at her, literally speechless. She had wanted to make him happy? Trying not to seem indifferent, he started to eat the ice cream again. "Yes, I really like it." He finally admitted, keeping his eyes on the ice cream until he had finished it all.

She finished her ice cream as well, a blush on her face. What was wrong with her? She felt like Hinata must feel whenever Naruto was around. It shouldn't embarrass her this much that he liked her cooking. She was a great cook, everyone said so. She cleared the table and washed the dishes. Gaara was kind enough to wait for her to finish, before heading upstairs. Stopping in front of her door, she turned to Gaara. Placing her hand on his arm, she looked deeply into his eyes, the epitome of seriousness. "Gaara? Can I ask you something?"

He finally made eye contact with her since dinner, "What is it?"

"Can we have waffles in the morning? I've been craving them lately, and you make the _best_ waffles." Hope filled her eyes at the thought of finally getting her favorite breakfast, now that they had the supplies to make it.

Gaara had to fight the annoyance from forming on his face. He had assumed it would be something a _little_ more important. He sighed and put on a small smile for her, so she wouldn't think there was anything wrong. "Of course Sakura, well goodnight." He said, not really knowing what to do. So he just turned around and went to his room, disappearing behind his doors.

"Goodnight." She muttered. Her dreams that night filled of maple syrup and whipped cream.


	16. Release

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Sixteen_

-Operation Day Twelve: Release-

An annoying buzz resounded around the room, and Gaara sat up sluggishly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He tried to search for his alarm clock in the dark, stubbing his finger against his side table and knocking over a glass of water, before finally finding the snooze button. He moved towards the edge and forced himself from bed. He sighed, stretching each of his arms and then cracking his back. "Oh yeah…waffles." He sighed once more, walking towards his large window and pulling the dark velvet curtains back, letting the sunlight spill in.

He stared out over the village, tightening the draw string on his sleeping pants. Without bothering to dress or put on a shirt, yet again, he made his way downstairs to start on Sakura's breakfast. Waffles were pretty simple after all, and since Sakura always got mad when he took it to her and burst into her room, he decided to set it up and leave it downstairs.

The drowsy redhead started pulling the ingredients for the waffles out, mixing it all in a large bowl and readying the batter to pour into the press. The waffles didn't take too long, so once they were done, he arranged three on each plate. He stopped and thought deeply about what Sakura would like the best. Deciding on strawberries, he went to the fridge and pulled out the red fruits along with the whip cream. Swirling the white fluff on top of Sakura's waffles, he set a strawberry in the center and two others on the side of the plate. After he was finished he set the table with their utensils and plates, as well as a glass of milk for Sakura and a glass of water for himself. He grabbed the syrup and placed it in the center. Finally he went back upstairs and knocked on Sakura's door, resisting the urge to just walk in as he had before.

A few seconds after he knocked, the door opened, revealing a very sleepy and ruffled kunoichi. She rubbed at her eyes tiredly. "Morning Gaara." She inhaled deeply, about to yawn, when she caught the sweet aroma coming from down the stairs. "Oh my God! Waffles!" she yelled, running past the surprised redhead, unaware that she was only in a baggy t-shirt that was barely long enough to cover her undergarments.

She sat at the table, humming happily to herself. "I get waffles! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" she sang, picking up her fork. She cut into them and took a bite, moaning appreciatively. She turned to the doorway, eyes locking with amused jade ones. "These are delicious!" she exclaimed, shoving more into her mouth. "Bu av no inea ow appy I am boo av real food in th monig." She told him through her mouthful of food.

Gaara stared at her for a while, deciphering her words in his head. He moved from the doorway, a smirk on his face, as his eyes returned to hers. He stopped behind her chair, placing both his hands on her shoulders as he leaned down and whispered into her ear. "I'm glad you like them…by the way, your white, pink polka dotted panties look nice."

She stopped chewing her food, face becoming crimson. Oh crap. She had forgotten that this was what she was wearing. All of her pajamas had gotten dirty, and she hadn't had the time to wash them yet. So she'd taken an old one of Gaara's shirts and worn it to sleep in. She grabbed the hem of the shirt and bunched it up, so as not to show her undergarments again. Standing up from the table, she backed towards the stairs, sending the smirking redhead an accusing glare. The best thing to get rid of her embarrassment would be to use anger. "See what I told you about not being decent? Gosh, next time just wait for me to get up on my own!" she said, running up the stairs backwards to put on some pants, which, coincidentally, were also Gaara's. The ones she had worn when he was gone.

Once she had made it up the stairs she ran into something hard and firm. She looked behind her and gasped. Gaara was standing right in the way to her room. "Why so embarrassed Sakura?" he asked, leaning down so his face was right in front of hers, placing his hands on both her arms to keep her in place. "I said they were nice. So why are you running?" his smirk was nothing but taunting now.

Surprisingly, her face became even darker. "W-well, I w-was just going to…um…put some pants on?" she said, sounding as if she was asking him for permission.

"Um…nope." He smiled, feeling extremely playful for some reason. He picked her up, hoisting her over his shoulder so that her butt was sticking in the air and her face was behind him. "I don't have a shirt on, so it's not a problem that you don't have pants on." He explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He laughed, keeping her legs secure with his arm and patting her butt with assurance. He started down the stairs, returning to the table and setting her right on the top. He placed his hands on either side of her, his smirk only growing.

Sakura blinked. It seemed as if he wasn't going to allow the blush to leave her face. She could feel the warmth radiating from his chest, his close proximity not helping her thought process. She leaned away from him, confusion all over her face. "Um….Gaara? What are you doing?"

He snaked his hand behind her head, forcing her face to his, so close that their lips were scarcely touching. "I just wanted…" he reached behind her, keeping her close so she couldn't see. "I want to know…" he smiled, pulling away and holding up her plate between them. "If you wanted to finish your waffles?"

The blush left her face immediately, anger taking control. How dare he screw with her so early in the morning? She reached out and took a hold of the plate, pasting a convincing smile on her face. "Of course I am!" Then she shoved the plate into his unsuspecting face, effectively covering it in syrup and whipped cream. Watching as the waffles fell from his face, she began to laugh. "But, it seems that there's something wrong with them, so I'll just have to eat yours instead!" she cheered, trying to scoot across the table and grab his plate.

Gaara took a deep breath, grabbing one of her wrists and wiping the whipped cream off his face with the other. With her stuck he shoved her down, so that she was lying on her back. He mounted her and pinned her arms down. "Well that just won't do Sakura, because those are mine. But here, I'm sure you'll like this." He moved his creamed hand and wiped it all over her face. He laughed, trace amounts of the white still lingering around his face and in his hair.

She shrieked playfully, twisting her head to shield her eyes from getting covered in the sweet toppings. When he finished, she leaned up as far as she could, and wiped her face off on his, her lips grazing his just slightly. Pulling away, she laid her head back down on the table. "Well, as a child I was taught to share, so there you go. Now give me some of your waffles!" she demanded, her smile showing that she was still teasing him.

Her actions were very bold, even to him. He was glad for all the sweets now covering his face to hide the blush that lie there. "Why thank you Sakura, it's very delicious. Since you shared I guess I will as well," he whispered daringly into her ear. He moved both her hands above her head and held them together with only one of his, so that she was still pinned. He reached over with his free hand and took one of his waffles, placing it in his mouth and offering it to her as so. He pulled her hands apart and held each down with one of his own, lacing his fingers with hers.

She stared up at him in contemplation. To take the offered waffle, or not to take the offered waffle, that was the question. If she took it, then it would a bold move on her part, even with him, but if she didn't she would be labeled as a coward, especially for starting something that she couldn't finish. Her resolve hardened at that thought. She always finished what she started. So she leaned up, and slowly bit into the waffle hanging from his mouth, keeping eye contact with him the whole time. As she pulled away, her tongue darted out to lick away the syrup coating her lips.

She could see the smirk on his face, despite the waffle in his mouth. He leaned down again to offer her another piece and she took another large bite out of the waffle, but this time Gaara stayed close to her face.

"GOOD MORNING GAARA! GOOD MORNING SAKU-" a loud voice boomed. Instantaneously both Gaara and Sakura looked up, horrified at the sight.

Temari stood wide eyed and mouth agape in the doorway. "HOLY HELL! WHAT THE EFF IS GOING ON?" she screamed at the top of her lungs, pulling on her hair and trying to shield her eyes.

Gaara opened his mouth to speak, causing the waffle to fall and hit Sakura square in the face. "It's not what it looks like I swear!" he yelled. Even through the whipped cream on his face Sakura could see the blood red blush, almost matching his hair.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? Sakura's on the table without pants on! You don't have on a shirt! There's white stuff EVERYWHERE! And you have her PINNED against you! But , it's not what it seems!" she screeched, running away before either of the messy duo could get another word in.

"Oh no." Gaara shut his eyes tightly, "This is bad…and now I have whipped cream in my eye!" he yelled, finally releasing Sakura and trying to get the substance out of his eyes.

Seeing that he was unsuccessful, Sakura grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his face. She let go of them, and, licking her thumb, began to wipe away the offending whipped cream. "There you go, all better." She said with a smile.

He remained still, almost looking as if he were pouting. Being a good patient to his apparent care taker. "Thanks…Sakura, what are we going to do? You know how Temari gets." He sighed, already dreading the fact that he had to leave the house.

She shrugged. "It's not like she's going to tell anyone. I mean, who's going to believe her? You have to admit that the whole scenario sounds rather farfetched to the average listener, considering who we are." She said with a smile.

Gaara ran his hand down his face, trying to keep his cool. "What do you mean who is she going to tell? Every single villager in Suna thinks we're together. Everyone will believe it." He groaned, hitting his forehead repeatedly with a closed fist.

She grabbed his fist, halting his self-beating. "Hurting yourself isn't going to solve this. People talk, they always have, and they always will. What matters most is that we know the truth. I don't care what they think about us. Denying that it is true will only give them more to talk about. I say we just continue to act as we always have, and damn what the villagers think. I never did care much for society's opinions anyways." She said with a smile, still holding his fist in her hands.

He growled, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "You don't understand Sakura, I don't personally care. You know that I could care less about things like that…but I'm the Kazekage, this is a big deal. If the elders find out, they could tell your Hokage, and could you imagine if Tsunade-sama thought we were…doing…those things?" He sighed, trying to find a happy place. "What am I worried about?" he sat up and looked over at her. "I have the power of fear. You're right Sakura. As long as I can scare anyone into silence, everything will be alright."

She smiled at his thought process. "Of course! And if you aren't scary enough, I could always beat them up! Make an example out of somebody! That way they will think twice about spreading rumors and lies."

Gaara nodded, this was full proof, he couldn't believe he lost his cool. "We are a force to be afraid of." He smiled and then looked around at their surroundings, "Why are we sitting on the table…?"

"Because some half-naked boy decided to prevent a half-naked girl from putting on her pants, threw her over his shoulder, and pin her to the table, covering her in whipped cream in the process. Does that scenario ring any bells?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

His only response to her agitation was lifting a hand to her face and getting some of the whipped cream on his finger. He popped it in his mouth and pulled out a clean digit, "Delicious. But no, it doesn't ring any bells. If I recall, this girl decided to see what would happen if she showed a poor, innocent boy her panties on 'accident'." He said simply, picking up a stray strawberry and biting into it.

She huffed. "It's not like said girl meant to show the boy her panties. It _was_ an accident. She didn't have any clean pajamas left to wear, so she had to borrow one of the boy's shirts!" She grabbed the piece of waffle that fell out of his mouth and onto her face. She took a bite, and then continued. "Besides, it's not like the boy couldn't just reign in his hormones. I mean, geez, talk about ridiculous." She said, taking another bite of the waffle, a light blush dusting her cheeks at the direction this not-so-hypothetical conversation was going.

"Well that girl didn't put up much of a fight. She seemed to be enjoying it. So of course the boy wouldn't stop, he only wanted to make her happy after all." He snatched the waffle from her and took a bite out of it as well. "If that girl really wanted it to stop, she would have done something."

She casually reached backwards and scooped up some whipped cream into her hand, hiding it behind her back. Giving him an innocent look she asked, "You mean something like this?" and before he could blink se had pinned him to the table, straddling his waist. Then she took her hand and smothered it across his face, being careful not to get any in his eyes. "The girl would have thought that covering the boy's face in her favorite breakfast would have been hint enough that she was displeased with the course of events that had taken place." She said with a smile.

Gaara tried his best to keep his playful demeanor, the fact that he was even being submissive at all somewhat surprised him. "Well maybe she just didn't struggle enough. Besides, it's not the first time she's thrown something in his face." he pointed out, trying his best to wipe all the cream she had spread off. "And again if she didn't like it...she wouldn't be on top of him." he smirked, leaning his head back and laughing. It was odd, he was truly enjoying himself. Was this what it felt like to be carefree?

She gasped and smacked him on the chest playfully, glad that she had made him smile. "Well," she said, placing her hands beside his head and leaning over him, "Maybe she liked the attention." She finished with a smirk of her own.

"Did she now?" he arched what would be a brow. Snaking his hands around to her back and forcing her down, so her whole body was pressed against him.

A startled look entered her eyes at his action. But, she should have expected it by now. Smiling, she began to play with the hair at the base of his neck, not really surprised at its softness. "Perhaps." She leaned down and spoke into his ear. "But, there's one thing that she likes more." She whispered, somewhat seductively. She reached her other hand upwards, leaning even closer to his neck than before. Then she pulled back abruptly, another one of his waffles in her hand. She smiled down at his startled face. "She loves waffles!"

He sighed, rolling his eyes and then focusing back on her. His peaceful look slowly faded as he sat up, moving his hands behind her back once more so she wouldn't fall. They sat together, Sakura practically in his lap. "You should probably get ready...after all I assume you want to look nice..." he averted his gaze then, his depressing aura setting back in over them.

Sensing where he was going with this, it was her turn to roll her eyes. "Not really, I'm just gonna grab a quick shower to get all this whipped cream off me. Besides, you're the only one I've ever dressed up for." She said, giving him a pointed look. Before he could say anything she slid off the table. Bunching up the shirt again, she headed up the stairs, mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

He had wanted to ask what she had meant, but didn't get the chance to. Was she talking about her birthday? He simply sighed, looking around at the messy kitchen. That had definitely been the most interesting breakfast of his life. Getting off the table in one fluid motion, still covered in whipped cream, he cleaned the kitchen and the table of all the mess. It didn't take too long, but it was tedious work. Once he was finally done he headed upstairs and to his bathroom, showering all the sticky sweetness off his face and out of his hair. When he was out and dressed he attempted at drying his hair with his towel. He sighed, flicking his fingers through to try and make it look acceptable. He could feel himself slipping faster and faster into his bad mood the more he thought about the meeting with Sasuke. Gaara made his way down stairs and saw Sakura waiting for him in the living room, looking as she would any other day. "Ready?" he asked once he was beside her.

She nodded and pounded her fists together, "Let's do this," and in a swirl of sand she was now so accustomed to, they vanished.

When they reappeared, they were in a dark, damp hall with no light whatsoever. Sakura felt Gaara's hand grip her arm and lead her forward. "How do you know where you're going?" she complained, not wanting to accidentally run into something.

"Don't worry," he assured her. A small light came from the end of the hall and then they were in a small room, filled with water and a cage suspended from the floor.

Gaara stopped and stared up at the cage. Sakura followed his gaze and gasped. Sasuke was chained down, from head to toe. An arrogant cackle began resonating throughout the room. "Well Sabaku, back for mo-" the deep voice stopped, eyeing the pink haired woman angrily.

"What is she doing here?" Sasuke asked, directing his glare back at the Kazekage.

Gaara didn't even acknowledge the Uchiha's presence. He turned to Sakura and leaned down, placing a comforting hand on her cheek and whispering into her ear. "I will let you speak with him alone. When you are finished just come back down the hall, follow the wall and you will reach the other room in which I will await you."

Before she could object, he moved away from her and back into the dark hallway.

She watched him leave, until his form melted into the darkness. Turning slowly towards Sasuke, she kept her gaze on the ground. Here goes nothing. Pasting a strained smile on her face, she looked up at the caged Uchiha. "So….Sasuke…how are you?" she questioned awkwardly, not used to calling him without her normal suffix.

He seemed a bit surprised by her question, but before she could register it his face was back to its regular glare. "What do you mean how am I doing? Is it not obvious? I'm hanging from a fucking cage, that is hanging from the fucking ceiling!"

She stifled a giggle at his response. It seemed he had gotten easier to upset over the years. "Well I'm doing great. I have this wonderful, big bed, with soft, silky sheets and really fluffy pillows. It's like a dream. So tell me, how do _you_ sleep at night?" she asked, teasing him.

Instead of rising to her bait he tried to remain calm. This was Sakura he was talking to. All he had to do was hurt her feelings, demolish her self-esteem, and she would leave him alone. "As annoying as ever Sakura. Tell me, have you actually improved any over the years? Every time I see you, all you can do is stand on the sidelines helplessly and watch as I fight Naruto."

His ploy began to work, until she remembered her many accomplishments over the years. She was Haruno Sakura. Member of Team Seven, lifelong friend to one Naruto Uzumaki and Uchiha Sasuke. Apprentice to the great Slug Sannin Tsunade, Fifth Hokage. And recent close friend and tamer of the great Sabaku no Gaara. She could demolish mountains with a flick of her wrist, and bring people back from the brink of death. Never had she heard of Sasuke doing anything so great. Resolve hardening, she glared at the smirking Uchiha.

"Shut up Sasuke. I didn't come here to be taunted by the likes of you." She barked out.

Onyx eyes widened a fraction at her words, smirk disappearing. There was something different about her. Usually she would look at the ground, apologize, and leave. His expression turned to one of boredom. "Then what did you come here for? To see the man you love before he dies? Please." He snorted, looking away from her. "Unless you are here to help me escape, I have no interest in talking to you."

Her face became red with rage. How dare he? After all these years, he was still the same self-centered, arrogant prick, only worse. It was time to test her acting skills once again. She stuck out her hip, and crossed her arms, gazing at the Uchiha as if he was stupid, giving off the impression that she was indifferent to his cruel words. "Actually, I came to say goodbye. So there you have it. Have a nice afterlife Sasuke. I wish you well, since we probably won't be seeing each other." Then she turned around and slowly made her way to the door.

Three.

Two.

One.

"…..Wait."

She suppressed a triumphant smile, and slowly turned back to face him, a delicate brow raised. "Yes?"

Now she was truly annoying him, but for reasons different than usual. "What happened to the Sakura I knew seven years ago? The one who would chase after me crying 'Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun!'? I feel like I don't know you anymore." he asked, confusion swimming in his eyes.

She became annoyed at his impression of her thirteen year old self. "You never knew me Sasuke, only what you saw as me. But, in the end, all I can do is thank you."

His pale brow scrunched together out of confusion. "For what?"

She almost wanted to laugh at his expression, similar to the one Gaara had given her last night, and yet so different. Gaara's was cute, where as Sasuke's looked out of place. "For leaving. If you hadn't left, I would never have become stronger, or realized that I don't love you anymore."

He swiftly looked at her face, only to see honest truth residing there. Part of him was disappointed in her admission, because he had planned on using her love for him at some point or another, for his own means.

Taking his silence as a sign to continue, she did. "I mean, I still love you, but only as a teammate. I don't think I would ever be able to see you as anything more than that now."

He snorted and looked away from her once more. "Well that's a relief. Now I can sleep peacefully at night knowing that I'm about to die and you don't give a damn."

Ignoring the fact that he was manipulating her feelings once again, she took a small step towards him, arm outstretched. "You don't understand. I merely meant that-"

"I know what you meant Sakura." He said harshly. "Now if you don't mind, those who are going to be executed are usually granted a last request. Leave. Now."

"But Sasuke, I only-" she said, hating how desperate she sounded.

"I don't care about what you want, _Haruno_. Leave me in peace before I die. I would hate to go to the hangman's block annoyed at some silly girl who never grew up." That said, he turned his face away from her fully, hiding his triumphant smirk. Now she would leave him crying and feeling guilty. God she was so easy to screw with.

Lowering her arms, she began to walk towards the door, face a mask of stone. If he wanted to part on bad terms, then so be it. She wouldn't stoop to his level, or cry for him. She had vowed long ago never to shed tears over the stoic Uchiha ever again. "Goodbye Sasuke. I hope you find the peace you deserve in death." She said over her shoulder. She walked forward through the tunnel, wanting to see Gaara as soon as possible. Only his steady and calm presence would make her feel better now.

On the verge of smashing something, she picked up her pace, practically running. When she saw the redhead, she didn't even stop to talk to him, simply running into his arms. Holding him in a fierce hug, she buried her face in his shirt. "Take me home, before I go back there and kill the bastard myself." She mumbled.

Gaara laughed, a smirk playing across his face. "Don't tempt me Sakura." He told her, getting a small laugh in return from the woman. But he knew she was serious as well, and the next time she opened her eyes, they were in Gaara's room.

He let her fall back on his bed as she groaned. "So did you say what you needed to say?" he asked, watching her stretch out.

"Yeah." She sighed. "I just wish he actually listened."

"I see," he nodded and sat beside her, staring off at the wall. He leaned forward, wanting so badly to know what they had talked about. But he also didn't want to. "Do you want to be alone? Should I go get you something?" he asked, standing up again, not looking at her, afraid of the emotions he might see there.

Sensing his mood, she sighed. "Well, I guess I could go make lunch. We spent longer eating breakfast this morning than I thought we would." She said, a smile evident in her voice. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. Walking up next to him, she put her hand on his tense shoulder. "Do you want anything in particular for lunch?" she asked.

"Nothing, I was just asking for you, Please allow me to get it for you if you're hungry." He eased her back down onto his bed and walked towards his door. He didn't want to tell her that it was him who really needed to be alone. He shut the door behind him and hurried towards the kitchen. He couldn't believe what he was feeling, or that he was feeling at all. Once he entered the kitchen he let out an angry yell and threw a punch at one of the cabinets. The wood cracked, bending in and splitting from the impact. Why had he let Sakura see Sasuke? She was probably telling that asshole how much she loved him and how hard she would try to convince him to let the Uchiha go.

He grabbed his head with one of his hands, trying to think clearly. He knew it didn't make sense, but the conspiracy kept rising inside him. That horrid question kept popping up. What if? He glanced back at the broken cabinet and noticed the red smeared on the wood. G_reat_, he groaned aloud. He held up his hand and saw his newly bloodied knuckles.

Upstairs in the Kazekage's room, Sakura sat there staring at the door with a worried look on her face. Something was wrong with Gaara. She could sense it as he swiftly left the room. Getting off the bed once again, she began to walk down the hallway. That was when she heard a sound familiar to her ears. The sound of wood cracking. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, only to see Gaara with bloodied knuckles.

"Gaara!" she yelled, running up to him. She grabbed his hand and began to heal it. "What did you do that for?" she scolded. "If you wanted to know what Sasuke and I talked about so badly all you had to do was ask. Or, you could have Hinata ask you to ask me. Either way, it doesn't require you to damage the furniture or yourself." She said as she finished healing him. Emerald searched jade. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"No." he glared, not liking at all that he was that easily read. He pulled his hand away from her grasp, "I…saw a spider." He lied, really not wanting to fight with her. He didn't care that she loved the Uchiha, he didn't care. He kept repeating in his head. _It doesn't matter, I don't care. I don't care…_, his eyes were now shut tightly, concentration apparent on his face. If he was trying to look normal, he was failing…miserably. _Damnit_, he cursed, opening his eyes slowly. _I care_.

Trying not to laugh at him, for that wouldn't help matters at all, and knowing that he was lying to her, she turned away from him. "Okay. Well make sure you wipe up the spider guts. It's unsanitary." She said as she began to get out sandwich fixings. "Do you want ham or turkey on your sandwich?" she asked, getting out two plates. She knew he wanted to know, but she wasn't going to come out and tell him. He would have to suck up his damn pride and ask her.

To go along with his lie, he pulled out a rag and wiped up the 'spider guts'. He glared at her back, well aware of her little trap. Like hell was he going to give in, fortunately he didn't want to know more than he did. "I don't want anything to eat." He huffed, walking out of the kitchen and into the living room. Deciding he was a bit hot, he quickly undid his shirt, throwing it in a nearby chair.

Gaara fell onto the couch and growled, he was so glad Sasuke was going to die. He was so sick of this crap and his stupid emo haircut. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest and turned on his side so he could stare at a decorative vase. His eyes trailed up the neck of the fine china and a scowl formed on his face. The flowers in the vase just _happened _to be cherry blossoms. _Oh come on!_ _Damnit Temari_, Gaara's eye twitched. He turned his back to the flowers and stared at the fabric on the sofa. Oh yes, totally interesting.

She glared through the wall, directing her hateful thoughts towards the redhead in the living room. There was no way she was going to give in and just tell him, no matter how badly she wanted him to know that everything was alright. She finished making her ultimate ham, turkey, chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, black pepper, mayo, ranch sandwich and put away the extra plate. Pouring herself a glass of water, she walked towards the dining room, passing the entrance to the living room on her way. Pausing mid-step, she backed up and saw Gaara staring at the couch. She rolled her eyes at him. He was being so childish! Deciding to be mean, she walked into the living room and plopped down in a chair across from where the redhead was laying. Ignoring his dark aura, she began to eat her sandwich happily.

His glare shifted to her the second she made contact with the chair, "What are you doing?" He asked, annoyance evident in his voice.

She swallowed and gave him an innocent look. "Eating. I would have thought that was obvious." She said, then took a drink of her water.

His patience began to wear thin. "I know that. I meant, why are you doing it in here?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I've just gotten used to eating with company, and would rather eat in here while you pout than in the dining room alone."

"I'm not pouting!" he yelled, sitting up quickly and then facing away from her. Now she was really making him angry. He didn't like this whole…emotion thing. "Whatever." He crossed his arms and then his legs, closing his eyes and pretending to meditate.

Her eye began to twitch. She was so close to punching the touchy redhead in the face it wasn't even funny. Realizing that she had half of her huge sandwich left, she stood and walked towards Gaara. Then she plopped the plate down in his lap. Meeting his angry glare with one of her own, she said, "Eat it, you need your strength." Then turned and made her way towards the kitchen, needing to get rid of some of her agitation through baking. Maybe she would make cheesecake this time.

Gaara growled, looking down at the sandwich. He dug through the ingredients, taking the pickles out before standing up on the couch. "I said I didn't want any!" he yelled childishly, throwing the pickles at her, making them stick in her hair before she got into the kitchen.

She turned swiftly, taking the pickles out and glaring at him. "Just eat the damn sandwich you moron! It's not healthy to skip a meal!" Stomping towards the kitchen, she growled in frustration. "God I need to bake something!" She threw away the offending pickles, and began to search for a pan to put the cheesecake in, muttering to herself about stupid redheads.

Gaara laughed maniacally, crossing his arms as he stood on the couch. "HAHA! I am lord of the living room, what I say is law! And I have single handedly defeated the pink harpy!" he let out another psychotic laugh. Emotions were definitely something he did _not_ know how to control yet.

Without so much as a word from the kitchen, a large steak knife cam flying through the wall, aimed perfectly at his face. He dodged of course, but was still surprised at the strength behind it, causing the knife to fully embed itself in the wall behind him.

"You better eat that sandwich before I shove it down your throat! Or the pink harpy will come in there and dethrone the tyrant king!" he heard yelled from the kitchen.

"Oh yeah? Well then you're going to have to come in here wench and see if you can." He smirked, jumping off the couch and pulling the knife from the wall with a bit of difficulty. Once in his hand, he twirled it around his fingers expertly, watching the doorway. "Or is the pink harpy too scared to take on the tyrant king?"

Suddenly he heard the sound of something crashing, or breaking, he wasn't quite sure. This was followed by a feminine curse, and then silence.

Sakura just stood there in the middle of the kitchen, Gaara's words not even registering in her head. She had accidentally broken the cooking stone she was going to use to make the cheesecake, cutting her finger in the process. She stared at the blood seeping from her wound and sliding down her arm, sinking to the floor in the process. Looking at the mess around her, she felt the tears well up in her eyes. All she wanted was a cheesecake for Christ's sake! And that damnable redhead was in the living room playing some mythological game. The whole situation made her want to laugh and yell at them same time. Not knowing which one to choose, she sat there, bottom lip trembling, trying in vain to hold back her tears.

Back in the living room, Gaara's suspicion rose. An alarm was going off in his head, and so the redhead cautiously walked over to the kitchen. He peered through the doorway, dropping the knife instantly, causing it to hit the tiled floor with a clank. He was in the kitchen in an instant, sliding a bit on the floor as he kneeled in front of Sakura, taking her hand and pulling her to him. "Sakura, are you ok? What happened? You have to be more careful." The words rushed out, his face filled with worry.

Her watery eyes turned to his worried ones, and she gave him a small smile. "I was just killing a spider." She said, using his earlier lie.

It felt as if someone had shoved a kunai through his chest, right where his heart was. He moved her closer, so that she was pressed against him, and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Gaara let out a heavy breath and buried his face in her pink hair. He didn't know what to say, his heart hurt, just like when he was betrayed by Yashamaru. His grip on her tightened, "Sakura…" he began, unable to find the words to express what he was trying to say to her. Only silence followed, but his grasp didn't falter.

She sniffed, tired of crying. "I just wanted to make a cheesecake. You know how I like to bake away my frustrations." She said into his chest, laughing slightly. She snuggled closer to him, shivering slightly. "You're always so warm." She sighed, content.

"It might be because my heart's beating so fast." He stated obliviously. "You know, pumping blood faster and making me hot."

Smiling, she pulled away from him slightly, so that she could see his face. "Actually, I think you're just naturally hot." She said, all previous grievances forgotten.

"You think so?" he pondered, "Maybe. It's probably because I live in the desert." He nodded, agreeing with his own statement. Gaara grabbed Sakura's face affectionately, pressing his forehead against hers. "Sakura…I'm alright with…not knowing what you and the Uchiha talked about."

She gazed into his jade orbs, becoming lost in their depths. Giving herself a mental shake, she decided to let him out of his misery. "He basically insulted my abilities as a shinobi, causing me to inform him that I only care for him as a teammate now. Then he accused me of not giving a damn about him, and said that as a man who was going to die, he 'didn't want to be annoyed with a silly girl who never grew up'." She quoted, making a face to mock the absent Uchiha. "In all honesty, I think he's the one who has some growing up to do. I even thanked him, you know, the way I told you I was going to? And then he decided to call me names."

She crossed her arms, wincing at the pain in her hand. Pulling it forward, she directed chakra to the wound and began to heal it. Watching her palm to make sure it healed correctly, she spoke once more. "You were right about him Gaara. He doesn't appreciate anything that he has." Looking back into his eyes, she admitted, "I'm glad that I found you. You're probably the best friend I've ever had, and one of the best people I know."

He stared at her wide eyed, it being the first time anyone had ever actually told him something like that. "But…I hurt you so much…I can't see why you would think that," he admitted, looking away from her at the broken stone all over the floor.

Her smile grew. "Yeah, but I destroy your house, so I think we're even." Becoming serious, she reached out with her newly healed hand and turned his face towards hers. "Gaara, the biggest difference between you and Sasuke is that you actually feel remorseful about your wrong-doings. Sasuke doesn't give a flying fart in space about what he does to others. _You_ apologize when you hurt me. All I ever got from Sasuke was a 'Thank you', and then he left me stranded on a park bench." She gave him a tender look and stroked his cheek comfortingly. "You always have been, and always will be, the better man in my eyes, Mr. King of the Living Room." She finished, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

He tried to fight the smile forming on his face. It was really nice to hear that he was better than Sasuke. Of course, he already knew that, but it was still nice to hear, and for some reason he knew it was only good because it was coming from Sakura. "You know that you impress me," he said simply. "You're very strong…it's a little alarming, and you're…very…" he stopped, taking a deep breath, he didn't want her to freak out if he said this. "You are very beautiful Sakura, and you saved me…the only time I ever needed someone, and you and Naruto were there for me." He gave her a small smile, grabbing her wrist and giving her a firm tug. She tumbled into his lap, legs practically up in the air.

He stared down at her now, keeping his eyes locked with hers. "You…are very important to me Sakura. One of those people, as Naruto calls them, someone precious to me."

Her shocked expression left her face, her eyes softening. She had been told numerous times by Lee and Naruto that she was beautiful, but when Gaara said it, it made her heart soar with happiness. "You are one of my precious people as well Gaara. And don't worry, I will _always_ be there to catch you when you fall. No matter if you think you need saving or not."

"Thank you Sakura," he said, brushing some of the hair from her face. "That actually means a lot. I promise…as long as I am able and as long as you wish it, I will be your shield."

Her smile widened. "Then I will be your sword."

"Don't you mean my hammer?" he smirked, leaning down and sticking his tongue out at her. "You do pulverize things after all."

She stuck her tongue out at him in return. "A sword is elegant and graceful, whereas a hammer is heavy and bulky."

"Touché, pink princess of all pastries." He laughed, moving back and looking at the mess. "Well, should we clean this up, head upstairs, and play king and queen of the bed?" Gaara smirked, his aura prideful as always.

Hope filled her eyes then. "You mean, I can sleep with you in your bed?"

"Well," Gaara grinned evilly, "That all depends on if you can win." He told her, standing up and dragging her with him. "And of course the first contest will be…whoever can get to my room faster." He released her quickly, shortly after sand surrounded him and he disappeared from the kitchen.

Without using her hands, she used a teleportation jutsu she had developed shortly before coming to Suna, appearing in Gaara's room seconds later. Looking around, she didn't see the redhead anywhere. She pulled her boots off quickly and flung herself into his bed. "I won!" she yelled triumphantly.

She could feel the grains of sand moving around her wrists and ankles. It materialized quickly, flinging her from the bed and onto the floor. "Oh I don't think so Sakura." Gaara laughed, standing triumphantly on the bed now.

She scrambled on the floor and stood up quickly. Pointing an accusing finger at him, she yelled "But I was here first! You weren't in the room!"

"Were you?" he questioned, a smirk creeping up his face. "How do you know I wasn't in here?"

Her brow scrunched in confusion. "Because I didn't see you anywhere in here…and I was on the bed first! So I should win!" she admonished, pointing to herself now.

"Technically…I was in this bed _way_ before you." He gestured, kicking off his shoes and lowering into a familiar taijutsu pose. "Come on Sakura, or are you afraid you can't take on the king?" he taunted, beckoning her with his hand.

It wasn't that she didn't think she could win, having been trained especially in taijutsu, but she was _so_ tired, even though it wasn't even that late in the day. Reaching behind her, she undid her kunai holster and let it fall to the floor. Once it was removed, she too, entered into a pose. Then, in an attempt to catch the redhead off guard, she ran towards him, and leapt towards the bed. "Prepare to meet your doom!" she yelled midair.

His smirk turned into a wicked grin, "Come on now." He tensed and then lunged forward, grabbing Sakura around the waist before she could do anything. They fell down on the bed together, bouncing high the first time and then settling. Gaara took the sheets and pulled them over her, trapping her in a silk cocoon.

"Don't make the queen rip your sheets! She will do it!" She said with a smile, struggling slightly. Sakura's yell was slightly muffled by the fabric, but her message got across nonetheless.

He kept the mass down and sighed, "If the queen rips the sheets then she won't sleep comfortably and it would make the king very unhappy. Because he really loves his sheets." He told her, releasing the sheets and letting her free.

She stopped squirming immediately. She sat up, happiness clear on her face. Untangling herself, she unclipped her tan skirt, and threw it on the floor. She unzipped her top, revealing a black tank top underneath. Without words, she straightened the sheets somewhat, and crawled underneath them. Looking over at the smirking redhead, she raised a brow at him. "Well? The queen refuses to sleep until her king is lying next to her and comfortable." She said, patting the space beside her.

"Is that so?" he laughed, leaning over her for a moment before joining her beneath the covers. "A king always obliges to his queen." He lay down and looked over at her as he pulled the sheets up.

Without asking permission, she scooted closer to him, snuggling up to his chest. "Goodnight Gaara." She sighed contentedly.

Suddenly his throat felt dry. Did he feel nervous? He was consciously going to sleep with Sakura, and this time she wasn't having an emotional breakdown. What did that mean? On instinct, he snaked his arm between hers and her body and pressed her front against his. "Goodnight Sakura…" he said softly, closing his eyes and leaning his head on hers. He could feel his heartbeat increase and his stomach tighten. That was really odd, and, as usual, he decided to ignore it.

It wasn't too long before the two were fast asleep.


	17. Awakening

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Seventeen_

-Operation Day Thirteen: Awakening-

_She wasn't surprised to find herself walking down the street towards the marketplace, hand in hand with her mystery man. She took in her surroundings, before looking down at their intertwined hands. She squeezed his lightly, making sure that he was really there. For some reason she felt as if she was going to lose him soon._

_She began to look up his body, hoping, praying, that this time she would get to see his face. When she reached his jaw, her excitement began to build. She looked into his face, only to see familiar jade eyes looking down at her. She smiled, somehow not surprised to see the redhead. _

_She could suddenly feel a change in the air, and knew that something was terribly wrong. But what? Then she heard it, the sound of cracking glass. She glanced around, trying to find the source but saw nothing. She focused back on Gaara, shocked that he was acting as if nothing were happening. How could he not hear that?_

_Finally she looked down, seeing the cracks appearing on the ground from their pressure. "Gaara." She looked up at him but he continued on. "Gaara!" she yelled now, trying to pull him back. His hand slipped from hers as he walked on._

_When he stepped forward, the ground beneath him shattered and he fell into the darkness._

"_GAARA!" she screamed, diving to grab him. She clasped his hand in a firm grip, taking notice of the lone tear that landed on his startled face._

"_Gaara, please! I won't let go! So you better not either!" she cried to him, fear of losing him evident in her voice. Relief washed over her as he grabbed her hand with his other one. She pulled him out of the hole, and, once he was beside her again, she leaned into him and sighed. Suddenly, everything vanished, and she was left alone._

Gaara sat bolt up in bed, with sweat dripping down his face. What had just happened? He bent forward, covering his countenance with his hands. It had been Sakura's voice in his dreams. He didn't know what to make of this. She had saved him, just like she said she would. The redhead looked over to the slumbering girl beside him and noticed tears staining her cheeks. He leaned over her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, resting his head on hers, and whispering her name, not wanting to wake her, but wanting to stop her suffering.

She stopped whimpering, and scooted closer to him, trying to shield her body with his. Once she was situated, she sighed in her sleep, a content smile on her face.

He could feel the smile form on his face, mirroring her own. He lay back down beside her, circling her waist with his arm and pulled her back against his chest. He closed his eyes, not to sleep, but just so he could have some peace from the abrupt awakening.

* * *

Sakura slowly opened her eyes, giving her mind time to clear from the vestiges of sleep. She was incredibly warm, and didn't need to think too hard as to why. Snuggling even closer to the sleeping man beside her, she froze, feeling the dried substance on her cheek. She recognized this feeling. It was one that she had become familiar with after Sasuke had left. _She had been crying_. But why? Suddenly she remembered her dream last night. Gaara was her mystery man, she thought as she pulled away from the redhead and sat upright in the bed.

Gaara's eyes flashed open from the sudden movement, his sand already formed defensively around them. "Sakura! What is it? Are you ok?" he asked, watching her warily, but also watching the shadows as well. He didn't feel anything different. He sand fell, crawling back to the gourd in the corner of the room. "Are you alright?" he finally asked after a moment of silence.

Regaining her composure slightly, she turned to him. "Yeah I'm fine. I just had a weird dream was all."

"What was it about?" he asked stridently. He tried to keep his tension hidden, but the dream resurfaced despite his attempts.

She didn't really want to tell him, embarrassed by her reoccurring dream. But, if there was ever going to be complete trust between them, he needed to know. She took a fortifying breath. "Well, shortly after I started staying with you I began to have this dream. In the dream, I'm walking down one of the streets here, and I'm holding someone's hand. But before I can see who it is, I wake up. Each time the dream happened I would get to see more of him. Last night, I saw him." She looked into his eyes then. "It was _you_ Gaara." Her cheeks reddened at the admission, and she looked away in embarrassment. His eyes went wide with shock. She decided to leave out how that knowledge made her feel, not really knowing herself. "But, the ground cracked, and you fell. I yelled your name, and was just barely able to grab onto you. I pulled you out of the hole, and, just as I leaned towards you, you vanished, and I was left all alone." She said, bottom lip trembling in remembrance. She began to wring the sheets in her hands nervously, waiting for his reaction. His hands had curled into fists, trying to fight back the anxiety that was about to burst from him.

He took a deep breath, trying to relax his straining muscles. "Sakura…do you…remember the dream I told you of, when you had awoken in the middle of the night and come into my room?"

Sakura went wide-eyed, as realization struck her. "In your dream!" she gasped, turning to face him despite her embarrassment. "You were falling and you heard someone call your name." She nodded, sure that this meant something important.

"Yes," he confirmed, looking away now. "I began having those dreams when you came as well." He sighed, shifting his gaze to his sheets. "This time though, I felt someone in the darkness. I guess now, well I am assuming it was you, or maybe it always was you, but they were trying to pull me back. All I could do was go forward though, I knew it was coming, but it was the only thing to expect in that dark world. When I fell…this time something held me up, and when I looked to see what it was…it was you." He confessed, every nerve in his body wanting to disappear now after sharing such a deep subconscious part of himself. But he willed himself to stay, knowing it would only hurt Sakura if he left.

She smiled at his admission, her embarrassment completely gone now. She let go of the sheet, and wrapped her arms around the redhead in a hug. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Maybe our dreams connected because of the bond we have. I mean, ever since I came here I felt like we've grown closer."

"Maybe." He nodded, slowly and hesitantly wrapping his arms around her. He could feel himself losing it. Why did he want to flee now? He was at peace and in turmoil all at the same time. He wanted to stay and he wanted to vanish. He hadn't noticed that his grip was tightening to a painful clutch for her.

Sakura looked up at him, seeing the twisted emotions playing across his face. "Gaara are you alright?" she asked, trying her best to ignore the pressure he was putting on her arms.

He snapped out of his own mind and eased up on his hold. "No…everything's fine. I was just thinking it was because we have spent so much time together." He lied, thoroughly this time, so she could not see the deception. "I've never actually gone to sleep with someone so close to me before, usually it's very uncomfortable for me to be vulnerable in front of people."

Not fully buying his words but deciding to leave it alone, she pulled away from him. She suddenly had the urge to be alone right now. She needed to come up with something to get away from him without hurting his feelings, wanting to reflect on what she had learned. "I understand. We should get moving, I need to wrap things up at the hospital and make sure everything isn't left in chaos when my team has to go back to Konoha." She said solemnly.

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't completely the truth. All she had to do was leave the workbooks for the nursing staff and name someone head of the hospital. She already had the proper candidate, so it would only take her ten minutes or so to get the job done. After that, she could go find solitude in order to think properly.

"Oh…yes." Reality started sinking in quickly. She was going to be leaving him the day after tomorrow. The day after he killed one of her closest friends. The day after tomorrow, he would lose one of the only lights in his world. He needed her away from him…now. His control was slipping fast, and he didn't want her to see him break down.

"Of course Sakura," he managed out, sounding pained. "I will see you later." He quickly moved away from her and headed towards his bathroom so he could wash off before 'going to work'. His heart hurt, his past and his present were colliding violently. The memories of Yashamaru's betrayal, Naruto's friendship, and Sakura's care. He wanted so badly to be able to accept these new feelings. But his instincts were right in the way, telling him to cut ties and let her go. What would he do? He didn't want to feel this heartache any longer. But he just didn't know what to do!

The bathroom door shut behind him and he was gone from the pink one's view. She sat there for a while, puzzled at his actions, but grateful for his absence. She left his room and got ready for the day.

The walk to the hospital was a silent one, and not the good kind. Both were lost in their own thoughts, confused about what they were feeling, and not wanting the other to see them so distressed. When they arrived at the entrance to the hospital, Gaara turned away from her without a word. Unsure if he was going to come back for her or not, she spoke up. "Will you be back at five?" she asked hesitantly, unsure of his answer. Although she wanted him to leave right now, she didn't want it to be permanent.

He stopped, not facing her for a while. He tried the technique she had taught him. Breathe in and then count backwards from ten, and for the moment it worked. He turned to face her and tried to give her a smile, "Yeah, sure."

She tried not to feel distraught with his answer. She had never received 'Sure' as an answer from him before, and she wasn't so _sure_ she liked it. It seemed like such a weak assurance. "I'll be waiting for you." She said truthfully. Then she entered the hospital, trying not to look back. Maybe it was for the best that they spent some time alone for now.

It actually took her less than ten minutes to get everything in order. Once she finished, she told the receptionist that she was taking the rest of the day off. Everyone simply assumed it was to prepare for the coming day, when her former teammate was to be executed.

She sprinted across the rooftops of the city, until she reached her destination. _The Kazekage Tower. _She smiled at the irony. She had willingly gone to the one place Gaara would be in order to get away from him and be alone. Directing chakra to her feet, she easily jumped onto the roof, sprawling out on her back and gazing at the clouds. It wasn't until now that she understood why Shikamaru did this so often. It was so peaceful, and really helped you clear your mind. Determination set in her face, she began to think about her dream.

In the beginning she had wanted it to be Sasuke. But as she got to know Gaara more and more, she wasn't able to think of the Uchiha in such a way. Over the two weeks she had spent with Gaara, she had begun to care for him more each day. He understood her on a deeper level than anyone she knew. And sometimes, she knew exactly what he was thinking and feeling, having become so tuned in to his needs. And, the thought of leaving him made her incredibly depressed. Her life would never be the same when this was all over, and she didn't know how to deal with that. Not on her own anyways.

She suddenly realized that she had come to depend on the redhead, in almost every way. Over the time she had stayed with him, she had depended on him for food, shelter, company, laughs, and someone to cry on. Heck, if she was truly honest with herself, she depended on his very presence to keep calm and somewhat sane, as if she were addicted to him.

On top of all that, he made her feel things she had never felt before. He made her want to laugh and cry all at the same time. He made her blush with the simplest of looks. And when he was near her, teasing her in the way he was wont to do, she wanted to kiss him. So, so badly.

She sat up at her last thought. The only other boy she had ever wanted to kiss had been Sasuke, and everyone knew how that had turned out. It was a childhood crush anyways. Sasuke never made her feel the things Gaara did. If she _had_ kissed him when she wanted to, would things be different now? Would they be in a different kind of relationship than the one they were currently in?

Then she thought about what life would be like if she were in a relationship like that with Gaara. She would get to see him more often. That thought made her happy. Then, if things progressed any further, maybe someday they would get married. She giggled at the thought. Gaara didn't strike her as the type of person to tie himself down to anyone, least of all a woman. But it would be nice. He would make them breakfast every day, and then walk her to the hospital on his way to work. When the day was done, he would pick her up and they would talk about their days. Then she would make them dinner once they got home, and later, they would go to sleep in his comfy bed. His face would be the last thing she saw before going to bed, and the first things she saw when she woke up. Thinking about it, she realized that their lives were already pretty similar to that, given the exception that she hadn't gotten to sleep with him every night she was here.

Her thoughts of marriage led her to ones of children. She had always wanted some, someday. At _least_ three. Suddenly her mind was filled with images of her and Gaara having kids together, and she smiled. They would be the most adorable children in the whole world. He would be a wonderful father, and she already knew that she would be a great mom. Their home would be full of laughter and love, the perfect foundations for a family.

Love…that was it! She stood up at her realization. She had fallen in love with the temperamental redhead! That explained why she felt like a blushing, bumbling school girl when she was around him. And why she could picture living her life with him until the day she died. She knew that he must feel something for her in return, she just didn't know how deep it went.

She looked out at Suna, startled that it was almost sunset. Had she really been on the roof for so long? Not wanting Gaara to get worried, she used her teleportation jutsu to bring her in front of the hospital. She sighed in relief when she arrived, noting that she still had roughly ten minutes before he would show up to get her. She walked over to one of the benches outside the hospital, and sat down to wait for him, bubbling with joy at what she had discovered about herself.

* * *

Gaara walked slowly down the street heading towards the hospital. He couldn't believe he had literally sat and stared at one scroll for eight hours! It had taken all that he had in him to actually get up and come to the hospital. He almost didn't want to see Sakura, and that truly frightened him. He _hated_ how many things she could make him feel at once, it was a bit overwhelming for him and his poor psyche. But he also wanted to see her…he needed to see her. She had become the only reason he could make it through those piles of paperwork, or putting up with _annoying_ guests, like Naruto and his friends. _No_, he told himself, shaking his head. _My friends_, he had actually made friends with these people, and it was only because of her.

But if she was so great, why did her presence make him suffer so much? Why did her care for the Uchiha make his blood boil? Why whenever she was hurt did he _need_ to comfort her, to protect her? "AAAH!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, getting a few odd stares in return. He didn't understand! He just didn't! None of this made sense, he had never felt this before, which made him confused. And unfortunately when he was confused it made him angry. He took a deep breath and turned the corner to see the hospital. He stopped near the front, staring at one of the benches, seating a happy pink haired woman.

When she saw him she felt a wave of relief wash over her. He came. She got up from the bench and ran into his arms. "Gaara!" she yelled as she wound her arms around his midsection. She looked into his eyes, hers sparkling in joy. "How was your day?" she asked.

He remained still for a moment and then slowly wrapped his arms around her. "It was long…and very uneventful." He wanted it all to stop, so that the pain wouldn't be so bad when she left. But he couldn't, he lowered his head so that his long red bangs hid his eyes and let his forehead touch her shoulder. His grip tightened, but not in a painful way like he had before. He didn't want her to leave, he felt accepted and normal when she was around him. He could actually laugh. He wanted to cry, but the man inside him refused to show any such weakness.

She reached up and began to stroke his head in a soothing manner, loving the feel of his soft hair running between her fingers. "Let's go home. We can eat all the leftovers for dinner, and finish off the ice cream I made." She said with a tender smile.

He nodded, removing himself from her shoulder and standing erect. "Come on, let's go." Without a moment's hesitation he took her hand and led her away from the hospital and to their home. He didn't want to think, at least, he didn't want to think tonight. He would enjoy every moment of Sakura that he had left. Unfortunately for him, that just wasn't going to happen.

They could hear the noise before they actually saw the trio it was coming from. Temari jogged towards them, with Hinata and Ino close behind. "Sakura we've been looking everywhere for you!" Temari yelled, but a smile was still plastered on her face. Gaara tried not to seem too annoyed with their unexpected arrival.

"Yeah!" Ino laughed, going to her best friend's side and tugging on her free arm. "We checked the hospital but they said you left early." Hinata nodded, as if to agree with the pale blonde.

Gaara immediately looked down at Sakura, a look on his face that meant _And just where have you been all day? You can be sure that we are talking about this when we get home_. "Anyways!" Temari interrupted their silent conversation, waving her hands in the air. "We're going out to eat, just the four of us! No icky boys!" the older blonde laughed evilly, a laugh that could give Gaara a run for his money.

"And no excuses!" Ino wagged her finger in Sakura's face. "Sorry Gaara, but we're taking Sakura for a little, she'll see you later!" and with that Ino latched onto Sakura and dragged her away before either could even mutter a goodbye.

Hinata followed after the Konoha kunoichi, and Temari waved at her brother and dashed off after them. Gaara could feel his eyes twitching, he needed to get home. Now. Or else someone was about to die. Now he was even angrier than he was before, stomping home like a child, he vowed to eat _all_ of Sakura's ice cream.

They took her to some specialty restaurant that served foods from other villages. She just ordered a salad, having lost her appetite from being taken away from Gaara. At that thought, guilt overrode her conscience. If you really thought about it, she had been neglecting her friends by spending all her time with the redhead. But, now that she had discovered that she loved him, she wanted nothing more than to shout it out to the village.

The food arrived, and Ino looked at her expectantly. "Ok Forehead, spill it."

Feigning confusion, she asked, "Spill what Ino-pig?"

Annoyed at her friends' antics, Ino pointed her fork across the table at the pink haired girl. "What's going on with you and Gaara? After the fight at the restaurant you were like a zombie, then at the party you two were practically making love on the dance floor, and now it seems as if Gaara doesn't want you to leave his side. So, what's going on?"

Turning red at what her friend was saying, she tried to play it all down. "I really think you're exaggerating Ino. I mean, all that happened was-"

"Don't give us that crap Sakura." Temari interrupted. "I was _there_ the day of your party. I _saw_ how quickly you changed back into your normal self when my brother came home. Don't try to downplay it."

In one last attempt to save herself, Sakura looked beside her at the quiet Hyuuga heiress. "Do you think this too Hinata?" she asked.

Blushing slightly at having all the attention directed at her, Hinata poked her fingers together nervously. "Well, you both act differently when the other is around. And, when you _are_ around each other, you stand closer than is proper for friends. I believe that _both_ of you are confused about what you feel." She said softly.

Growing irritated at how transparent she was, she slammed her fist on the table. "I am _not_ confused!" she yelled.

Ino narrowed her eyes. "Oh reeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaally? Then tell me Sakura, what are you?"

"I'm angry!" she said with conviction. "Just because I am in love with Gaara doesn't mean-" she stopped talking, realizing what she had just done. She braced herself for the onslaught that was sure to begin.

Temari dropped her fork in shock. "You're in love with my little brother?"

"It's about damned time you realized it!" Ino yelled, pumping her fist in the air.

Hinata merely sat there and gave her a reassuring smile. Once things had quieted down, Ino spoke up. "So…..when did you realize it?" she asked, raising a blonde brow.

She began to play with her salad in an attempt to cover up her embarrassment. "Um….today…."

"Really?" the blonde asked, perking up at the news. "Have you told him yet? Are you even gonna tell him?"

She sighed. "No I haven't told him. I was going to tell him tonight, but now it looks like I'll have to wait for the right moment."

"You'd better do it soon." Temari advised, taking a bite of her lasagna. "Gaara doesn't do well when he's emotionally confused. Trust me, I know."

"No matter what," she said with conviction, "I _will_ do it before we return to Konoha."

Turning towards the ebony haired girl, Ino smirked. "Well, now that Sakura has found someone, all we have to do is hook Hinata up with Naruto."

The Hyuuga blushed. "Um…Ino…I really don't think that that's necessary. I mean…Naruto-kun has a lot to deal with right now, and-"

"Oh come on Hinata." Ino interrupted. "Didn't you tell me the other day how Naruto flipped out at that witch who works at the hospital?" she questioned.

"You mean _used_ to work at the hospital." Sakura corrected, glad to have the attention on someone else. She merely shrugged at everyone's questioning looks. "I punched her through a wall and fired her the other day. Gaara fully supported my decision." She explained, a self-satisfied smirk on her lips.

"Awesome." Temari said, smiling. She had never liked the brunette in the first place, having only seen her at the party, and heard of her from her friends.

"Yeah, it's great. Now back to Hinata." Ino said, dismissing the news, completely focused on her task.

Said girl merely blushed a shade darker. "Well, he did, but I'm sure he would have done that in order to defend any one of you."

Ino shook her head negatively. "No Hinata. He wouldn't. He may have yelled at her true, but he wouldn't have gone fox demon for any of us."

Sakura stared at Hinata, shock written on her face. "He began to go fox demon? How did you calm him down?"

Hinata looked down, embarrassed at what she was about to say. "I simply laid my hand on his arm. He calmed down immediately and took me out for some ramen."

Even more shocked than before, Sakura turned in her seat to fully face the girl, excited now. Remembering her conversation with Naruto the other day, she asked, "He calmed down without you having to say anything _and_ he paid for your lunch? Naruto _never_ pays for anyone else's lunch, not even mine." She said, astonished.

"Y-yes. But that doesn't mean anything. Naruto-kun has only ever seen me as an acquaintance." Hinata said, trying to deny what they were hinting at. Only in her dreams would Naruto ever care for her the way she wanted.

"Hinata, Naruto couldn't take his eyes off you when we were at the banquet. Even Kiba noticed." Ino told her.

"Yeah, he never left your side for one second. I even saw him glaring at that guy you were talking to." Temari said.

Lavender eyes widened in astonishment. "He was?"

"Of course he was! You were smokin' hot and Naruto didn't want to share!" Ino admonished.

She blushed even more. "W-what should I do?" she questioned, her old stutter beginning to come back at her newfound excitement.

"You should tell him." Temari said, looking as if the answer was obvious, which it was. "I mean, if you don't, he might find someone else, and you'll regret not telling him for the rest of your life."

"If that's true Temari-san, then why haven't you told Shikamaru your feelings?" The Hyuuga inquired, honest curiosity in her voice.

"Oh! Good one Hinata!" Ino yelled, putting her hand up for a high five. She returned it hesitantly, hoping that she hadn't offended the wind mistress.

Cheeks slightly pink from the innocent question, Temari quickly came up with an excuse. "That's because I haven't seen him in a long time. It's not like I make frequent trips to Konoha or anything. I have responsibilities to do here." She said defensively, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, but if Gaara and Sakura get a thing going, you can just visit Shikamaru while he's visiting Sakura." Ino said, giving the other blonde a sly look.

Temari simply shoved lasagna into her mouth, making it clear that she was done with the conversation. For the rest of the evening, the girls simply talked about what had been going on lately around the village, and their guy friends, making jokes every once in a while about their strange habits and behaviors.

Walking home that night, Sakura felt at peace. Was this how life would be when she and Gaara got married? Scratch that, she thought with a shake of her head. It all depended on whether or not he returned her feelings, and then, if he did, it depended on whether or not he wanted to get married at all.

Walking through the door, she was about to yell that she was home when she saw the disaster that awaited her in the kitchen. Lying on the kitchen table were both containers of ice cream, completely empty. Her left eye began to twitch. He had eaten all of _her_ chocolate ice cream! _Nobody_ ate the rest of her chocolate and got away with it, no matter how much she cared about them! "GAARA!" she yelled angrily, ready to smash something.

"What." He replied shortly, she turned around quickly to see him in the doorway with an old angry glare set in place.

"Did you eat my ice cream?" she asked accusingly.

He walked forward, slowly, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He stopped right in front of her, nearly a head taller than her. "What if I did." He stated, not really making it a question. He reached forward and grabbed her shirt, jerking her forward, in turn making her collapse against him. "Are you going to do something about it?" he asked darkly. Something was definitely off about him. His aura was even different than its usual gloomy demeanor.

Not one to be easily intimidated, Sakura glared into his eyes. "Hell yes I'm gonna do something about it! I leave you for one hour. _One hour_! And you go and eat my favorite flavor of ice cream! That I worked hard to make! We don't even have the ingredients for me to make some more!" she yelled into his face, raising a petite fist in the air and shaking it.

Suddenly something dawned on her, and, despite her instincts telling her not to, she decided to tease him. Raising a brow, not caring that he still held her shirt in his fist, she asked, "What are you upset about? Because, when women are upset about something, they usually eat. And what they eat is their favorite sweet. So, since ice cream is your favorite, and you ate all of it, what's bothering you Gaara _dear_?"

She could see the flame ignite in his eyes, unfortunately it was the wrong time for teasing. Gaara pushed her back, releasing her shirt in the process. Stumbling back only a bit before regaining her balance, Sakura watched him warily. He started laughing, that same dark laugh he had after he had thought she betrayed him. "Are you really trying to tease me Sakura?" he asked, walking away from her, beginning to pace around the kitchen. He stopped by the sink and picked up one of the plates. He stared at it for a while, before throwing it at the wall and shattering it. "Because I _don't_ feel like playing!"

Emerald eyes widened in shock and began to tear up. "Well, if you're going to be a jerk and ruin one of the last nights we'll have together, then I'm going to bed." She said, bottom lip trembling. She would be damned if he saw her cry again. She made her way towards the stairs, wanting to cry in the solitude of her room.

"Fine! Go to bed! I don't care!" he yelled after her, trying to control himself. Obviously it wasn't working. Once she disappeared from his sight he let out another scream, the sand around him exploded, swirling around in a dangerous whirlwind. The paint off the walls began to scrape off and some of the cabinets ripped off their hinges, smashing against the walls. Gaara slumped to his knees, the sand falling down with him. The kitchen was destroyed, debris everywhere, and sand filling the floor like an hour glass. He fell forward, grabbing his head and resting it on the ground. He didn't know what to do, he couldn't control all these emotions Sakura gave him. The things she fueled inside him set off alarms that told him to push her away. Hurt her before she could hurt him. But he didn't want to hurt her!

He sat back up and fell back against the counter. He didn't like not being in control, he didn't like not knowing. It was going to drive him mad. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to ease his mind. No wonder he had never tried getting close to someone, because bad things happened. Bad things like caring…and anger, and something else. He stopped thinking now, fueling the dimming fire once more. He just needed quiet.

* * *

Hearing the damage being done in the kitchen, she accidentally let out a choked sob halfway up the stairs, and hoped that he didn't hear it. She didn't want to anger him more than he already was.

Why did she love him? It hurt so much worse than loving Sasuke! But, unlike with Sasuke, she knew that she would never be able to move on if he rejected her. Tears already streaming down her cheeks, she finally made it to her room, where she promptly flung herself on her bed and began to sob into her pillow.

All she asked was for him to be kind to her, was that too much? If it was, then maybe asking for him to return her love would be impossible for the redhead. Maybe she should just keep her feelings to herself, and try to patch up their relationship before she left. That way he would still want to see her, and she would get to spend some time with him in return. Confused at the turn of events and her feelings, her crying doubled, to the point where she was in hysterics.

* * *

Gaara sat there for almost three hours, unmoving, just breathing in and out. He finally stood, walking out of the kitchen. He slowly made his way up the stairs and stopped at Sakura's door. She was probably asleep and still angry at him for freaking out. The redhead decided to go to his room and change into some sleeping clothes. After his shoes were off he changed into black draw string pants and a black t-shirt with a white Suna symbol on the front. He stopped at his bedside and stared down at the silk sheets. He couldn't bring himself to get in.

He sighed and left his room, stopping in front of Sakura's door. Gaara raised his fist to knock, but then thought better of it. She would just yell at him if he woke her. In a quick wisp he was taken into her room with his sand. It took only a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to her dark room. There was no sound aside from her soft breathing, and he didn't want to imagine what she had done before sleep took her. He made his way over to her, contemplating on getting in bed with her. With a deep breath he carefully crawled under the covers with her and stared at her back, since she was facing the other way.

Awakening slightly at the feel of the bed dipping behind her, she didn't need to open her eyes to know who it was. She rolled over and wiggled closer to his chest, nuzzling him affectionately. "I'm sorry." She mumbled, hoping he would forgive her.

He did nothing to suppress the small smile that came to his face. He snuck his hands around her waist and pulled her against him, mostly so that he could feel her. "No Sakura, I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong." He said softly, his voice nothing but tender and caring.

She wrapped her arms around him in return, effectively bringing her body flush against his. "But I couldn't make you smile." She semi-whined, scrunching her brow in displeasure. "I just wanted to take away your pain, for whatever reason you were hurting."

He buried his face in her hair. He didn't want her feeling sad about his current emotional state. "I'm sorry for being so messed up, it wasn't something that you could do anything about Sakura. It's just me, I'm just…damaged, probably beyond repair." He sighed, taking in her sweet scent. "This is something I have to get through myself…"

She nuzzled his neck again, for reassurance. "Everyone is damaged in some way Gaara. I mean, look at me. I can't function without another person keeping me company, my greatest fear is of being alone. So, just as you will always be there for me when I want you, I will save you from your darkness, as long as you want me."

He remained quiet, but she could feel his nod. "Sakura…" he began with a long sigh. "I'm sorry…for tomorrow."

She frowned at his statement. "Don't be. He brought this upon himself. It was only a matter of time before he was caught and punished for his actions." She said, mimicking his words when they had first begun to stay with each other. Strange how loving someone made you understand their reasoning a lot better.

He gave a small nod, giving her a tight squeeze. "Alright. Goodnight Sakura."

She snuggled closer to his warmth. "Goodnight Gaara. Sweet dreams." She sighed, and fell into a peaceful slumber.


	18. Execution

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Eighteen _

-Day Fourteen: Execution-

The redhead's eyes opened slowly. He didn't need his alarm today to know when to wake up. He glanced down at the sleeping girl in his arms. She hadn't moved all night. Slowly and carefully, Gaara pulled away from her and sat up on the side of the bed. He looked back, making sure he hadn't disturbed her. She remained fast asleep, a small smile resting on her beautiful features. He couldn't help but smile as well. What a pleasant image to wake up too. He got up from the bed and silently disappeared in a swirl of sand. Appearing in his own room, he began to undress and headed for the shower. This was going to be one of the most important days of his life. During his showering process he couldn't help but think of what would happen afterwards. Naruto would be mad, maybe even hate him, he wasn't too worried about the other three, they seemed reasonable. And then there was Sakura. What would happen to them after today? She said that she no longer loved the Uchiha in the way he thought she had, but she still cared _for_ him, right? Wouldn't it upset her if he were to die?

Gaara shook his head, ridding himself of thoughts that would only complicate things. After he dried off and dressed, he went to the corner of his room, grabbing his large sand gourd and securing it in place. He felt the familiar weight and chuckled, remembering his younger days. How much he had changed. He then rummaged around his room, finding a pen and some paper. Quickly he wrote a note for Sakura so she wouldn't be alarmed when she found him gone.

_Sakura,_

_Please don't be mad that I am not here, I had to go in and prepare for the day. I will see you there, if you so choose to come._

He went back to Sakura's room and left the note on the pillow he had used the night before. He stopped, admiring her beauty once more before leaving her to her slumber. _It's for the best_, he assured himself, before leaving in his normal fashion.

He materialized in front of the Kazekage Tower and walked over to the nearest training field, which was now the main stage for the execution. Some of the Jounin who were setting up took note of his appearance and bowed respectfully. "Kazekage-sama, good morning." They said in unison.

"Morning." He gave them each a nod before continuing past them. Just as he reached the doors, Temari pushed through them and jumped a bit in surprise.

"Oh wow, hi Gaara. Where's Sakura?" the blonde asked, truly intrigued that the pink haired medic was not glued to the stiff redhead.

"She's still asleep, I didn't want to wake her. She doesn't need to be here for the setup." He explained, getting a questioning glance in return. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. So…" she smiled, walking with her brother now, "Did Sakura tell you anything interesting last night?" she arched a delicate brow, watching him closely.

"Um…no. Why?" he asked suspiciously.

Temari just laughed and shook her head, "No reason. No reason at all baby brother." She ruffled his hair and walked away, leaving the steaming Kazekage to himself.

"Whatever." He growled, focusing back on the work being done. It was only a matter of time before everything was complete.

"Hey Gaara!" a loud voice came from behind. He turned around to see Naruto and Kiba approaching him. "Hey man," the blonde smiled, but the sadness was clearly shown on his face.

Kiba waved, looking behind him and sighing. "So today's the day huh? It seems like it's been longer than two weeks. I've been having a blast in Suna." He shrugged, very indifferent about the whole situation.

"Yes, today is the day." he nodded.

"That Sasuke dies." Naruto added sadly.

* * *

Sakura groaned as the sunlight hit her eyes. Rolling over and feeling the cold sheets next to her, she sat up. Looking down at the pillow Gaara had used, she read the note he left for her. She couldn't help but smile at how thoughtful he was. Not wanting to be late, she got up and took a quick shower. She got dressed in her ninja gear, strapping on her waist and kunai pouches. She grabbed her gloves and put them on. For some reason, she felt that she needed to be ready for the unexpected. You never knew when Sasuke was planning something, or even if he was expecting someone to come and rescue him.

Locking the house behind her, she made her way towards the Kazekage Tower, knowing that that would be where the execution took place. As it came into view, she saw that all of the preparations were complete. Scanning the crowd, she spotted a flash of crimson hair. She wanted to be there for Gaara, not wanting him to think that she would be upset about it all. Sure, she was sad that one of her childhood friends was being executed, but as long as Gaara was with her, she would be okay.

Those thoughts in mind, she entered the arena.

* * *

It wasn't long after all the preparations were finished that some of the residents began gathering around the entrance and looking to see what was happening. There was a small platform built, so that Sasuke's death could be an example. Gaara stared at the craftsmanship, Naruto on his right and Kiba on his left.

Naruto cleared his throat and stared straight at Gaara, "I want you to know…even if you do this Gaara, it won't change things between us." The fox boy nodded, getting a sharp nod in return from the redhead.

Most of the Suna officials filed out from the tower to watch the prestigious event. It wasn't a large crowd, but it was well over twenty people. Gaara felt the familiar chakra enter the arena, but he didn't dare turn around to look at her. He didn't need to see the pain on her face. There was a loud gong that resounded throughout the entire village. It silenced the crowd immediately. Sakura pushed her way through the crowd in attempt to get to Gaara, but before she could reach him, he moved forward and got up on the platform.

"Bring out the prisoner." He ordered loudly.

Replacing Gaara between the two men, Sakura stared wide eyed at her love and then focused her eyes on the door that was connected to the Kazekage tower. Temari, Ino, and Hinata stood behind the other three, watching with sad eyes as two Suna Anbu escorted the chained Uchiha into the bright light of the morning.

Practically throwing the dark haired man onto the platform, the two shinobi stood behind him threateningly as Sasuke faced Gaara, a standoff that had been going on since the chuunin exams. "You know what you've done Uchiha. I don't need to explain myself before I kill you, do I?"

Sasuke scoffed and looked away from the Kazekage, "Just get it over with already."

Gaara looked over at the spot of pink in the front, making eye contact with her. He looked back at the person he hated most in the world and a hard glare set in place. "Uchiha Sasuke, you are released. As long as you return to Konoha, you are free." He gestured to the two Anbu guards to release the prisoner.

Hesitantly, they began to remove Sasuke's bindings until he was completely free of all the seals and chains. "Hm. I can safely say, I did not see that coming. It looks like that pink haired annoyance had you wrapped tightly around her finger the way I thought she did." The Uchiha smirked, his words only making Gaara frown in disapproval.

"Just leave Sasuke. I don't ever want to see you again."

"Fine." He turned his back to the redhead and began to walk off. The ploy was soon thrown off when Sasuke turned around, ripping a kunai pouch off a nearby shinobi, and sending one straight at Gaara. Without even one movement the sand around the Kazekage rose defensively, catching the kunai and tossing it aside.

Naruto and Kiba made a motion to go and join Gaara, but his hand rose, telling them to halt. "Do not interfere. Now…he really will die." He looked from the two males to Sakura, a pained expression flashing over his face. "I'm sorry," he said softly, before focusing on the raven haired man. "Come on Sasuke, let's finish this."

"With pleasure!" Sasuke laughed, running towards Gaara with unimaginable speed. Sasuke brought his leg up, having already avoided the sand barrier but soon shock exploded on his face. What had blocked his kick was Gaara!

"Whoa!" Naruto gasped, Kiba mouth agape.

"Gaara knows taijutsu?" the brunette stared in awe.

Sakura couldn't believe it, but now it all made sense. When he would come home damaged and broken, with bloody knuckles. He was training and perfecting his hand to hand combat, so that he wouldn't have to rely on his sand so heavily.

Gaara clasped onto Sasuke's foot and pulled the Uchiha towards him. With another hard tug he threw Sasuke into the wall of the arena. The impact caused a crack to climb up the wall rapidly. Not giving him any time to recover, Gaara ran towards him, attempting to hinder the rouge's next attack. But of course, Sasuke was no novice. He sent a kick straight at the redhead's chest, despite the sand blocking a direct hit he flew back a couple feet, regaining his stance quickly.

"Haha! Gaara you think you hate me? You know how tired I am of you?" Sasuke yelled running at Gaara with a kunai ready. He met him halfway, their collision kicking up the sand into the air. Gaara grabbed Sasuke's wrist, twisting it until the kunai fell free, then grabbing Sasuke's collar he threw him up and over the wall.

While in the air Sasuke's eyes changed from dark onyx to crimson red. He landed gracefully on the ground, rolling out of the way for the drop kick aimed at his head. Sasuke lurched forward, aiming a fist at Gaara's face, hitting the mark perfectly, causing him to stumble back into a wall. Not wanting to miss the opening Sasuke charged forward, a loud sound now emitting from his hand. Something like…a mass of birds. Gaara went wide eyed, dissolving quickly into sand as Sasuke's hand slammed through the wall, sticking a bit.

The redhead appeared beside the Uchiha, roundhouse kicking the dark haired man right in the face. There was a sickening snap from Sasuke's arm as it broke free from the wall and he fell to the ground. His sand quickly formed to daggers to impale the Uchiha, but Sasuke raised his hand to his mouth and took a deep breath. A giant fire ball formed between the two and shot towards the Kazekage.

Gaara slammed against a hard building, collapsing to the ground soon after. He could feel the heat still on his skin and his now burned clothes. Sasuke crawled up slowly, looking at his far off enemy. "Did I burn you Gaara? My bad." Sasuke chuckled darkly, beginning his advance on the still down Suna nin.

Taking a deep breath, the sand master slammed his hand on the ground and all the loose sand particles responded instantly. They swarmed around Sasuke, pricking at his skin, bit by bit. The sand from his gourd shot out, surging towards the trapped Uchiha. It formed quickly into a large hand and grabbed the ebony haired man, throwing him clean through a nearby building.

Getting up swiftly, Gaara ran through the newly made hole, searching for the man that was seriously going to suffer his wrath. "Oh Sasuke…come out, come out, wherever you are." He laughed maniacally, trying to spot him in the shadows of the building. Too late, Gaara sensed the presence beside him. He was swept off his feet and hit his head on the ground with a painful smack.

Looking up he saw the light that matched the sound of the chirping birds. His sand reacted faster than his body did and restrained all of Sasuke's limbs, throwing him against the wall to stall him. Gaara got up, running towards Sasuke and aiming a punch at his face. Sasuke evaded skillfully, making the redhead's hand collide with the wall. He cursed, trying to ignore the pain now aching all over his body. But looking at Sasuke he was reassured, blood was dripping down his face.

Controlling his sand with some hand motions, all the grainy, blood deprived sand surged toward Sasuke, knocking him off balance. It began its relentless smashing, until the Uchiha was all bloody. Unfortunately, Sasuke avoided the sand finally and rocketed towards Gaara, kicking him square in the chest and sending him back out the hole he had come through. Just like Lee, Sasuke appeared behind him and threw him up in the air, jumping up to follow him before slamming his heel into Gaara's stomach.

He fell exceedingly fast, his sand wrapping around him protectively so that the fall wouldn't do too much damage. The sand ball now around Gaara slammed into the platform that had just been built for Sasuke's execution, creating a crater in the middle of the training field. The sand fell away, revealing a bloodied and bruised Gaara. Sasuke came down with a chidori aimed right for the redhead's heart. Quickly, Gaara rolled out of the way, slipping a kunai from Sasuke's stolen pouch and held it high.

Sasuke turned just in time to avoid the stab in the back, but the cold metal sunk deep between his shoulder and his neck. Gaara smirked, glaring at the red eyes, until he felt the blood dripping down his left arm. Sasuke had managed to hit him with the lightning blade right between his arm and his collar bone. The Uchiha took up his other hand, another lightning blade forming in his free hand that was now aimed for Gaara's face. He couldn't believe it. He…lost?

Seeing this, Sakura remembered her dream, and jumped into action. This time, she knew who to save. Moving faster than she ever had in her life, Sakura ran forward. Grabbing the back of Sasuke's collar, she ripped him away from Gaara, tossing him away from her love. He flew through the air and slammed into another wall of the arena.

"You will _not_ touch him _ever_ again." She snarled, startling both the redhead and the Uchiha.

"Sakura, I said not to interfere." Gaara ground out, the pain in his shoulder becoming almost intolerable.

She glanced back at him, a small smile on her lips. "Since when do I ever do what you tell me to? Besides, I promised to always be your sword, as long as you would be my shield."

By now Sasuke had crawled back through the wall. "So, Sabaku, you have grown weak enough as to have Sakura defend you?" he asked, casually dusting himself off, as if he didn't think Sakura was a threat. That would be his downfall.

Before Gaara could answer, Sakura spoke up. "Actually Sasuke, I didn't jump in to defend him. He can fight on his own. I jumped in because I've been _longing_ to beat your ass." That said, she charged forward, directing chakra to her fist.

Sasuke merely smirked. It was easy to predict people's movements with his sharingan, but even more so at her direct fighting approach. She had always been the weakest link of Team Seven, and now he would get to prove it in front of everybody, including that damned redhead. Drawing a kunai, he moved to counter her attack.

Unknown to Sasuke, Sakura wasn't trying to hit him. She formed a chakra scalpel, intent on severing the muscle in his arms, therefore disarming him. With her free hand, she took a kunai from the pouch on her leg and effectively blocked his attack. She aimed to hit the shoulder that wasn't injured with her scalpel. He saw through it at the last second, and twisted his body, landing a kick on her midsection. She didn't falter in her movements the way he expected however. She just somersaulted over his leg, in order to receive less damage. Flying away from the other, both stopped to look into their opponent's. One slightly impressed, and the other pissed.

"Still weak as ever Sakura. You can't even land a hit on me." He said smugly.

She snorted. "Stand still and we'll see how well that goes."

He smirked. "Is that the only way you'll be able to touch me?"

Deciding not to answer, she lunged for him again. It was time to take advantage of all those taijutsu lessons from Rock Lee. Meeting halfway, they began a deadly dance of fists, kunai, and kicks. In a move too fast for her to see, Sasuke whipped out another kunai, aiming for Sakura's throat. It was stopped however, by a hand formed of sand. Both froze for a second, before Sakura realized what was happening. Gaara was being her shield. Taking the advantage, she formed her chakra scalpel once again, but was only able to graze his shoulder. She cursed under her breath, but wasn't ungrateful. At least now it would be hindered somewhat.

Jumping away from the startled Uchiha before he could attack her, she smirked. "What was that about not being to land a hit Sasuke?" she said with a raised brow.

"Hn. It won't happen again. You were just lucky that Sabaku distracted me." He defended.

"You shouldn't have allowed that to happen, Sasuke. A good ninja would be aware that he has two opponents, not assume that one will stand back while the other fights." She said, shaking her head as if she were scolding a child.

This time it was Sasuke who made the first move. Creating the fire jutsu that the Uchiha are known for, he sent it sailing at her. She dodged to the left, which was just what he wanted. Appearing before her startled face, she heard the sound of chirping birds. Bracing herself for the attack, she held her arms up to block it. When nothing happened, she peeked her eyes open, only to find that she was completely covered in Gaara's sand shield. She stood as the sand began to dissipate, and, seeing a flash of onyx, she pulled out two kunai and renewed her attack.

Sasuke was ready for her though, and had out his own kunai. They fought each other, neither one gaining the upper hand. When their kunai locked together, Sasuke decided to try and beat her emotionally, in order for her to lower her guard. "I can't believe you were so desperate for attention that you went to a monster in order to get it. You really are pathetic Sakura." He sneered.

She grit her teeth in frustration. "If I wanted attention from a monster Sasuke, I would have come to _you_."

He blinked, not expecting her to say that. Suddenly he grew angry at the redhead. He had tainted his Sakura into something that she wasn't. She was supposed to be cowardly, weak, and completely dependent. So, he tried for a different approach. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered. "He's just using you. Once you leave it will be as if none of this has ever happened. He won't think about you, and won't care when he hurts you."

She froze at what he was saying, but before her thoughts could take a turn for the worse, she grew angry. Gaara would never do that to her, she trusted him with her life, her very soul. She sent chakra into her fist and, snarling, pushed him away from her with all her might.

They began to fight again, but this time when he went to hit her, sand always got in his way, making it difficult for him to predict her movements. Eventually, he got fed up with the redhead's interference. Using the flurry of Sakura's blows and Gaara's sand to his advantage, he summoned a snake using one hand, sending it off towards the unsuspecting male. Then, he sped up his attacks, wanting Gaara to be fully focused on protecting Sakura.

Noticing the snake when it was too late, Sakura yelled, "Gaara! Watch out!", and, seeing his opening, Sasuke created another chidori, directing it at her exposed heart.

Knowing that if he didn't defend himself the snake would bite and poison him, he sent all of his sand to protect Sakura from Sasuke's hidden attack. Her life was more important after all. He winced as he felt the snake's fangs pierce through his sand armor and into his skin, feeling it inject the lethal poison into his system. Then it vanished in a puff of smoke, its task already completed.

When the sand shield formed around her for the second time, she realized what Sasuke had done. He had turned the battle so that Gaara would be distracted with protecting her, so he sent the snake to take care of him. Then, when she got distracted by the snake, he would use a chidori on her, effectively eliminating one of them.

Her vision became red in her rage. _How dare he?_ Moving with a speed that rivaled Lee's, she swung her fist, connecting with the underside of the Uchiha's jaw. He flew across the arena, and, before he could recover, she ran over to him and leapt into the air, fist glowing blue with chakra. She landed on him with a thud, making the crater even bigger. Pulling away, she saw that he was now barely conscious, but she didn't care. She directed more chakra into her fists, and continued to beat him to a bloody pulp.

The beating continued as she pounded him further and further into the ground. She had absolutely no intention of stopping until Sasuke was no longer recognizable in this life, or the next. Suddenly both of her arms were grabbed, halting her movements. She looked to her right and left, only to see Naruto and Kakashi.

"Sakura-chan stop! You'll kill him!" the Kyuubi yelled frantically.

"Let go of me! It's what he deserves!" She screamed back, struggling against their grips.

"Sakura," the calm voice of her sensei interrupted, "If you really wanted to kill Sasuke, you would have used you strength to break free from me and Naruto. Besides, Gaara needs you right now." Kakashi, ever the voice of reason, stated.

Completely forgetting about her earlier fury, she stood up quickly, breaking free of their grasp. "Oh my God! Gaara!" she exclaimed, immediately leaping out of the crater to go treat the redhead's wounds.

Landing at his side, she looked into his eyes, hers filled with worry. "Where did the snake bite you?" she asked. He simply held up his arm, still stunned at what she had said and done to the now unconscious Uchiha. She immediately ripped away his sleeve and began to suck his blood from the wound with her mouth. Spitting it out she explained, "I need to save my chakra for your remaining injuries. The best way to get rid of snake venom is by removing it through the wound." She continued this until she could no longer taste the venom in his system. Then, wiping off some of the blood on her chin, she tended to his other wounds, specifically the one on his shoulder.

"Hey! He's waking up!" she heard Naruto yell excitedly from the crater.

Without a word she got up and walked over there. Jumping into the hole, she gripped Sasuke's shirt in her fist and pulled his bloody face to hers. "Consider that a taste of what will happen if you ever come near my Gaara again." She seethed, dropping him immediately and leaving the crater.

"But, Sakura-chan, aren't you going to heal Sasuke-teme too?" Naruto asked her, hope in his voice.

Without looking back she said, "That's what hospitals are for." And continued walking back towards Gaara.

The redhead stood once she was close and stared down at her, utter surprise still remaining on his face. He was looking at her as if her hair were green. She blushed a bit and gave a small huff, "What?" she demanded.

He didn't answer at first, but finally found his voice. "You…chose me…over Sasuke?" he asked, looking as if he didn't believe it, even though it had just happened.

She crossed her arms, slightly annoyed that they had to keep going over this. "I will always pick you over Sasuke, Gaara." Uncrossing her arms, her face turned to one of worry. "Are you mad at me? For interfering?" she asked, fearful of the answer.

"Of course I am." He said giving her a small glare. "But," a small smile formed on his face. "Watching you beat the crap out of Sasuke was amazing. Of course until, well Naruto and Kakashi jumped in, what a shame." He sighed, crossing his arms and looking past her at the two. "But I suppose we don't always get _everything_ we want." He looked back down at her, moving his hand to her face and holding it tenderly. "I'm glad you aren't hurt."

She leaned into his hand, glad to finally be able to touch him. Then, she looked down at her herself and grimaced. Her arms and hands were covered in blood, and her clothes were splattered in it. Great, this would never wash out. "Can we go home now? I need to shower off the stench of Sasuke's blood." She asked, humor evident in her gaze.

"I dunno," he smirked, placing his free hand on the small of her back and pressing her body against his. "It's kind of hot seeing you covered in blood," he leaned closer to her face, showing his more sadistic side.

She blushed furiously and leaned backwards slightly. Now that she knew she loved Gaara, it was more difficult for her to repress her urges. She didn't want him to find out about her feelings in public, since she didn't know how he was going to react, or how she would react to his reaction. "Um…well….that's not one I've heard before." Regaining some of her composure, she smiled at him. "Is it also hot when I rip clothes off people?" she asked, meaning his shirt sleeve.

He arched what would be a brow and glanced down at his now bare arm. "I think it might be hotter," he paused, his hand tightening on the back of her shirt. "If your clothes got ripped off." He whispered seductively into her ear.

"Hinata-chan shield your ears!" Naruto cried out, tackling the poor girl to the ground and holding his hands over her ears. This being too much for the Hyuuga, she fell unconscious from all the blood rushing to her head at once.

Sakura pressed herself into him fully, so that she could feel every inch of his body. Leaning next to his face, she whispered in a seductive voice, "In your dreams." and immediately pulled away from him, going to check on her passed out friend.

Gaara growled and glared after her, her actions not exactly what he was expecting, but he decided to just let it go. Kiba stepped beside him, his arms crossed, watching Kakashi and a couple other Suna shinobi carry Sasuke off to the hospital. "That was pretty amazing, huh?"

The redhead turned his head to the brunette, "What? Sakura?"

"Yeah. I've never seen her act like that before." The brunette said.

"Like what? Fighting?" Gaara asked, now growing confused.

Kiba sighed and focused on the Kazekage. "Gaara…you didn't see her face. I've never seen Sakura that close to killing someone, ever."

He glanced back over at Sakura, who was fanning Hinata with her hand. "Just think about it man," the dog ninja smiled, setting his hand on the large white dog that walked up and sat at his feet.

Gaara nodded and Kiba went to join Sakura. He stood behind her, trying to view the Hyuuga, who was still a bit light headed.

* * *

Sakura plopped down on one of the couches, exhausted. "Whew, what a long day." Turning to the silent redhead at her side she asked, "Don't you agree?"

"Yes. Quite a day." He agreed, sitting down in one of the plush chairs across from her. He seemed pretty preoccupied with the carpet.

Quirking a brow at him, she asked, "Is everything ok? You seem a bit distracted."

He looked up, his undivided attention now on her. "No. Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. Sasuke got what he deserved, you still get him alive, Kiba is annoying as ever, and Hinata's in a love coma. Everything is completely normal." He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back to try and sooth the ache.

Knowing that he wasn't telling her everything, she got up and walked behind his chair. Leaning over the back of it, she brought her hands down, and began to massage his shoulders, slowly easing the tension she felt there.

He let out a deep breath, already feeling her medical hands at work. This was oddly comforting, he had never been touched like this before, and it seemed to just take all his aches away. But he knew most everything Sakura did was because she was trying to find something out. One of her more annoying habits, she just had to know what was wrong with him all the time and try to fix it. It was sickeningly sweet, but then it was one of the things that made her…her. And how he enjoyed her. "What do you want Sakura?" he finally sighed, keeping his eyes closed so her beautiful emerald eyes could not work their magic.

Not pausing in her ministrations, she began to massage the base of his neck. She decided to play innocent. "What do you mean?"

He stifled a laugh, her attempts at hiding her intentions were humorous. "Don't play dumb Sakura," he smiled, still trying to keep his eyes closed so she could not hypnotize him. "You play nice, so you can find out what's wrong. But's there's nothing wrong," he assured her with his lie.

She huffed, and added more pressure, to ease his deeper muscles. "I don't know what you're talking about Gaara. I always play nice, you just try and bite me, so I have to reciprocate."

"I don't try and bite you!" he opened his eyes, to glare up at her. Too late to realize his mistake.

She widened her eyes innocently. "It's just a metaphor Gaara! Technically, what you just said is a clear example of your animalistic behavior." She said with a cheeky smile, moving her hands back to his shoulders. Leaning closer to him, she whispered, "But, maybe you should try it sometime, and see what happens." Most of the humor now gone from her eyes.

"Sakura…" he sighed, trying his best to fight the smile that was forming on his face. He moved his hands and grabbed onto her delicate wrists, stopping her massage. "You know better than that…" he tugged at her arms in a suggestive way, like he was inviting her. Sakura laughed, not going to give into him so easily. Suddenly Gaara jerked her forward and she tumbled over him, landing in his lap with her legs up in the air.

He moved his face down to hers, so close he could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks and her staggered breath. "You know what happens when you antagonize me." He whispered, taking her hand and moving it to his mouth. Before she could even react he bit her hand softly, their eye contact never breaking.

She whimpered softly at the feel of his mouth against her skin, licking her lips slowly. She definitely wasn't expecting _that_. Suddenly she felt really hot, and not only on her red-stained cheeks. Becoming embarrassed, she jerked out of his grip, and made a mad dash for the stairs. She needed to splash cold water on her face and she needed it now!

Gaara stared at the spot she had just been. What had just happened? He thought things were going smoothly and then…she was gone. He looked over towards the stairs, seeing her rush into the hall. Was that too invasive of her personal space? Confusion settling on his face, he sighed, not knowing what to do now. He got up and decided to try and find something edible in the kitchen. Unfortunately, everything was destroyed from the night before. What was he going to eat for dinner?

Despite his dilemma, he couldn't help but think about Sakura. He couldn't find what he had done wrong. He stared off, replaying the whole scene in his head.

Sakura snuck back downstairs a few minutes later, somewhat back to her normal, pale self. She would have stayed in her room for the rest of the night, had it not been for the insistent growling of her stomach. She walked into the demolished kitchen, not really paying much attention to her surroundings, too focused on food. Humming to herself, she opened the fridge, accidentally ripping off the dented door. Reaching in, she pulled out a chunk of watermelon. She shrugged to herself. Fruit would just have to do, since she didn't feel like cooking, and there wasn't really a functioning stove at the moment. Shutting the door, she froze as she realized that she wasn't alone. Blushing once more, she met Gaara's intense stare. Holding out the large chunk in her hand, she hesitantly asked, "Watermelon?"

"…No thanks." Was his only reply before heading for the doorway. He didn't know how to act around her for the time being. "I think I'll just go ahead and get to sleep. Lots of things to deal with tomorrow…you know since that idiot kind of destroyed parts of my village." He left quickly, not leaving her room for a comment. Why had she just up and left him and then acted as if nothing happened? He growled softly, _women_.

She stood there wide-eyed and watched him leave. She shook her head as she ate some of the watermelon before heading up to bed. What was his problem? First he's all bold and flirtatious, and now he's cranky? She let out a frustrated sigh as she flung herself on her bed. _Men_.


	19. Unexpected

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Nineteen_

-Unexpected-

Sakura woke up about an hour and a half before sunrise, knowing that Gaara was still asleep. Taking a quick shower, she grabbed her money pouch and headed out the door. Since there wasn't anything at the house to eat she made her way to the marketplace. She bought biscuits from the bakery, a few jams, bacon, and sausage. It wasn't much, but she didn't have a lot of money, so it would have to do.

When she got home, she set the food on the dining room table, and made her way to the kitchen. Finally taking in the sight, she sighed. It wasn't very healthy for her and Gaara to stay in the same house together, since they seemed to destroy everything. She smiled to herself. Oh well. If they did become something more, she was sure they'd come up with a way to save the house.

It would be another fifteen minutes or so before he came downstairs, so she began to pick up in the kitchen. She made a pile of large debris, and a pile of small debris. Then she took out a wash rag and began to wipe all the dust off the counters. That way they could set things on it without having to worry about them getting dirty. She swept the floor, and then decided that she had done enough for now. She didn't want to be all sweaty when Gaara came downstairs after all. Plus, she would need all her energy to help pick up the arena she helped destroy.

She grabbed two plates and took them into the dining room. Setting up all the food, she scanned her work to make sure it looked nice. It wasn't anything fancy like what Gaara made her in the mornings, but it's the thought that counts right? She looked at the clock. Any minute now he should be getting up. Suddenly, an idea struck her. Grinning evilly, she grabbed a tray and a glass of water. Sitting the plate on the tray, she made her way upstairs. Let's see how he likes being woken up in the morning.

Taking a fortifying breath she quickly knocked, waited two seconds, and opened the door. With a cheerful smile on her face, she said, "Good morning Gaara!"

Finally Gaara focused on the intruder, and his sand dropped immediately when he took note of who it was. "What do you want?" he asked, obviously still halfway asleep, his hair stuck up in odd places, probably from a rough night of slumber. "I thought I told you never to come in here while I was asleep. I could have killed you."

She put the tray on his nightstand and sat on the side of his bed, giving him a reassuring smile. "But you wouldn't have, because I trust you." Nodding over to what she brought in, she continued. "I brought you something to eat. It's not as good as what you make in the mornings, but the kitchen is still messy so we'll just have to work with what we've got." She left out the fact that she had bought it with her own money, since she knew he was touchy about that. She figured it was a guy thing.

He glanced suspiciously over at the food, returning his gaze back to her. "How did you buy all of that?"

She laughed nervously. "What do you mean? I was given these…by the people I purchased them from…" she said, mumbling that last part and looking away.

"Uh huh." He sighed, deciding to give up. He really didn't want to fight with her today, since it would be his last with her. He grabbed the plate and started picking at the food. He didn't have much of an appetite, but he didn't want her trouble to go to waste. So he ate.

Watching him eat, she began to fidget nervously. "Um…Gaara? Do you think I could come with you to help repair the damages? I feel bad, since I caused some of them myself…"

He looked up at her and shrugged, "You can if you want, though I am sure that the Suna shinobi have most of it done by now. I have to file some paperwork on the incident." He began eating again, mostly just to fill his stomach so he wouldn't be hungry later.

"Oh…ok." she said, looking down at her lap. She really just wanted to spend more time with him, since they would be leaving tomorrow, once Sasuke recovered a bit. But, if he was going to be doing paperwork, she wouldn't have anything to do, and would most likely get in his way. Her only other option would be to go work at the hospital, but she didn't want to chance them asking her to check up on Sasuke, because she _really_ didn't want to see him.

He watched her expressions carefully. Keeping in a sigh he knew would upset her, he set the plate aside. "It shouldn't take me too long…if you would wait and deal with the boredom for a little we could…do…something…" he trailed off, not really having any idea of what they could do, but knowing he wanted to spend what little time they had left with her.

She perked up immediately at that. "Really?" Giving him a sly look, she said, "So, it wouldn't bother you if I just sat there, and _stared_ at you?" She sounded like she was joking, but she wasn't. This way, he would be expecting her to watch him, and would think nothing of it. Her plan was full proof.

"No." he shrugged, not really thinking anything odd about it. "Well I just have to shower and get ready," he said simply. A sly smile crept up his face, "So you probably need to get ready too…" he leaned towards her, resting on his arm. "We could always…save some water." His smile turned quickly into a devious one.

She leaned forward as well, her face mere centimeters from him. Giving him a devious smile of her own, she said, "That sounds like a really good idea. But, unfortunately, I already took a shower while you were sleeping." Standing, she turned to him, "So I'll just wait for you downstairs." She sauntered out of the room, swaying her hips as if she were mocking him.

He watched angrily as she left. He got up, pulling off his shirt and tossing it aside. He went into the bathroom and showered quickly. Still mad at the pink haired woman for messing with him, he decided to leave after he was dressed in a swirl sand.

Sakura waited downstairs, tapping her foot impatiently. It had been more than fifteen minutes, so he should be done by now. She marched up the stairs, and knocked on his bedroom door. Not getting an answer, she opened the door and walked in. "Gaara?" she called, looking around the room. She went towards the bathroom, and, seeing that it was unoccupied, grew angry. He _left_ her?

She left the house, slamming the door enough to cause the wall to crack again, just to spite him. She stomped the whole way to Kazekage Tower, the look of rage on her face making people run out of her way. Reaching the door to Gaara's office, she slammed it open, cracking that wall as well. "How _dare_ you!" she yelled, marching up to his desk. "After I was nice enough to bring you breakfast _and_ wait for you to get ready?" Placing her hands on her hips, she raised an angry brow at him. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

He glanced up at her, uninterested in the tantrum she was throwing. He let out a deep sigh and stood. "Nothing." He shrugged, walking around his desk, making her turn with him until he was right in front of her. He placed his hands on either side of her and pressed her against the desk with his body. "You made me angry, so I decided to make you upset in return." He informed her, pushing her down to the desk so that she was sitting.

"Now if you don't mind," he smiled evilly, tilting her chin up so he could see her infuriated eyes. "I have something new to attend to." He whispered, placing his other hand behind her neck, causing her to lean forward, so their lips were only centimeters apart. He could feel her nervous breath, and couldn't help but laugh darkly.

She swallowed, her face as red as a cherry. "S-something new?"

"Oh yes." Gaara moved his hand on her neck to her cheek, stroking her skin tenderly. "Something that appears to need all my attention." He gave her another push, holding her down to his desk. He hiked up himself, straddling her tiny waist and lowering his face to her neck, pressing his cheek against hers.

She began to breathe in shallow gasps. This was all happening way too fast for her liking. She was supposed to be yelling at him and making him feel bad about leaving her. Not him making her so nervous that she could hardly breathe properly. "W-what is it?" she asked shakily.

He laughed and buried his face into the crook of her neck. "You of course." She could feel his smile against her skin now.

She chuckled at his antics, trying to hide the fact that she was disappointed. Burying her face in his neck in return, she finally found her voice. "Good," she smiled, "Because I've been feeling _very_ neglected."

He pulled away from her, staring down into her beautiful green eyes. "Is that so? I'll make sure to attend to your every need." He leaned back down, taking a soft bite of her neck.

She gasped and arched into his touch. She'd never felt anything like this in her life, and she never wanted it to end. "So allow me to cater." He moved one of his hands to her front, grabbing the zipper to her shirt and giving it a small tug.

Leaning closer to his face, she gently licked the shell of his ear. "Do you know what I need now?" she asked in a husky whisper.

"And what's that?" he stopped, clearly interested in what she wanted from him. Hopefully it was what he wanted as well.

She brought her hands up to one of the buckles on his shirt and began to unclasp it. "_You_." She said emphatically.

His eyes widened in disbelief, but his shock disappeared more quickly than it had come. "I can do that." Without any hesitation he pulled the zipper down, revealing her pale flesh and the bit of black cloth covering her breasts. She fumbled quickly with the last buckle, tossing his outer vest to the side and working on getting his shirt off. It was a frenzy of hands, until finally Gaara was left in only his pants and Sakura in her black shorts and the small amount of clothing on her top. The redhead grasped the hem of her shorts, already starting to bring them down, when he heard the door slam open, causing him to freeze. He looked through the small opening between his and Sakura's legs to see a horrified blonde haired, blue eyed ninja. Hinata peeked in from behind him and went wide eyed, her face turning such a dark red it had to be unhealthy.

"Hinata-chan! Shield your eyes!" Naruto cried out, tackling the poor girl once again. She flailed, nearly falling into a coma from the embarrassment this time. Gaara blinked and then looked down at Sakura, his eyes going wide. Immediately he jerked away from her, a blush matching his hair spreading across his whole face.

"It's not what it looks like!" he yelled. Feeling as if he had already been through this situation he shook his head, trying to get rid of the evidence on his face. "We…we were playing this new game!" he nodded, still shirtless and Sakura still practically naked.

Naruto stood quickly, pulling Hinata with him, a huge blush on his own face. "Oh yeah? What game! Sex!" he shouted, dragging Hinata away from the scene as fast as he could.

When he turned around, he saw that Sakura had already righted most of her clothing, and was zipping up her red shirt. He was about to say something, until he saw the hurt look in her eyes. "Sakura…"

"Is that all this is to you? A game?" she asked, on the verge of tears.

"A game?" he shook his head and for the first time in his life, Gaara was flustered. "No, it's not a game! It's just that Naruto, he...I don't know! I can't explain what's happening to me…I'm acting…strangely…" he looked away. He didn't think anything he could say would quail her new anger. "I can't control myself." He shut his eyes tightly, feeling only more confused now with his jumbled emotions.

Realizing that this was just as new to him as it was to her, she walked over to him, grasping him in a reassuring hug. "Want to go get some lunch? And then maybe some ice cream? I didn't really get to eat any of it last time." She said, looking into his face with a smile.

Without looking at her, he nodded, pulling on his shirt and adjusting his vest so that he looked presentable.

They went to a kebab stand, and then headed for the ice cream. After that, they wandered around the village aimlessly, content to be in the other's company. Then, coming upon a group of street performers, Sakura grabbed a hold of his arm and eagerly dragged him over to watch. She had never seen such feats performed by ordinary people before, and was in awe.

Gaara watched her enjoy the simpler pleasures in their ninja life. He turned back to face the people in the street, noting all the stares they were getting from the villagers. They were clearly more interested in the beauty locked onto their Kazekage's arm than the performers.

She watched as one of the performers stuck a long sword down his throat and pulled it out without a scratch. "Gaara! Did you see that?" she asked, excitedly shaking his arm a bit.

"Yes Sakura," he laughed lightly, focusing his gaze on her alone. She was more interesting than the silly people in the street anyways. "I was standing right here."

She gave him an annoyed look. "Don't tease me. It was cool!" Laying her head on his shoulder, she sighed. "Suna's a lot cooler than I thought it was gonna be."

"I don't understand why everyone thinks it's so hot." He crossed his arms, annoyed with stereotypes now. "How did you think I could survive if I wore all that clothing?"

She snickered at his response. "I meant cool as in awesome Gaara. Not cool as in the temperature."

"Oh." He looked off then, feeling extremely stupid now.

She laughed. "It's ok. I think it's cute when you think I'm talking about something else."

He huffed, doing his best to pretend like he didn't care. "Well...what do you want to do now?"

"YEAH! IT'S TRUE! I SAW GAARA AND SAKURA-CHAN _DOING IT_ IN HIS OFFICE!" an overly obnoxious, loud man yelled to two blondes. Temari and Ino blinked, obviously not believing it. Hinata nodded, not really knowing what happened, but trusting what Naruto had seen.

Gaara went wide eyed, seeing all the shocked faces around him. He felt his face becoming hot once more. He was going to _kill_ Naruto. The whispers then started and he knew that he and Sakura were the source. The heat on his face only increased. God he hated this! Why did this happen when he was embarrassed? And why was he embarrassed?

"Gaara are you ok?" Sakura asked him, since he had begun to hide his face behind his hands.

"Don't look at me!" he yelled, dashing into a nearby alley. He didn't want Sakura to see him in a weak state.

Unfortunately that had gotten the attention of the three blondes and the Hyuuga far off. "Sakura?" Ino gasped, trying to wave her down.

She marched over to the yelling blonde, and grabbed him by his collar. "Naruto! Stop spreading lies!" she yelled, shaking him vigorously.

"B-but I _saw_ you two Sakura-chan! You were both-"

She clamped a hand down on his mouth and gave him a murderous look. "Gaara already told you that we were playing a game. Don't you trust your friends enough to believe that?" she asked.

The jinchuuriki simply began to talk into her hand, his words muffled. Bringing him closer to her face, she whispered, "If you say anything more on the matter I will make sure that you will never be able to play that game. _Ever_." She emphasized for good measure. When he nodded in understanding, she dropped him and ran towards the alleyway she saw Gaara disappear into. "Gaara? Are you in here?" she called.

"Go away." He demanded, sitting on an empty wooden box, facing the back wall of the dead end, his back to her.

"You can come out now you know." She said. "I took care of Naruto, so we should be fine."

"I said GO AWAY!" he shouted, looking very tense.

She halted, about to walk towards him. "If that's what you wish." She muttered, hurt. She turned around and left the alleyway. Once she was out, she ran by her friends, and made a dash for the mansion, not wanting anyone to see her cry. Did she do something wrong? Was he ashamed of her?

The sound of her fading footsteps made him turn around. He stared at the empty alley, knowing he had hurt her feelings. He glanced back down. She had to understand, he couldn't be weak in front of anyone. He was the Kazekage, and being around her made him feel…vulnerable.

He got up anyway. No part of him could stand Sakura's unhappiness. His sand shot out and wrapped around him, taking him away to his home. He appeared in the living room, looking around for the pink haired woman.

By then she had already begun some laundry, knowing that she would need clothes for the return journey. At the moment, she was scrubbing the floor in the kitchen, having already thrown the debris out the front door in her rage. Not knowing that Gaara had followed her home, she poured more water onto the floor and resumed scrubbing like a madwoman. He could be embarrassed all he wanted, _she_ wasn't ashamed of her actions.

Crawling over to a new spot to wash, she began to think about the whole situation. Perhaps, the reason she felt different about everything than he did, was because she _knew_ that she loved him, but he didn't know of her feelings. She _needed_ to tell him tonight. She just didn't know how. But, if she cleaned enough, maybe the answer would come to her, and she could get rid of all the frustration she was feeling.

Sensing her presence and knowing what she did when she was angry, he walked into the kitchen, standing in the doorway and watching her clean. Apparently she was so deep in thought that she was oblivious to the fact he was there with her. After a while of watching her, he cleared his throat to get her attention. "Sakura."

Startled from her thoughts, she accidentally knocked the bucket of water over on herself. "Damn." She muttered, before turning around. "Yes?" she asked, acting as if she didn't know why he was there.

He stepped into the kitchen, grabbing a towel from the counter and kneeling beside her. He began to clean up the water, soaking it onto the towel. "I'm sorry I told you to go away. I did not mean it…it's just that…I don't like when people see me when I'm weak." He admitted, refusing to make eye contact with her now.

Her face softened at this. She completely understood what he meant. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she said, "Gaara, I understand where you're coming from believe me. It's just, I wish you could show it to me, even if it's only once. I feel like I've shown you mine so many times." She laughed then, "You're probably tired of all my emotional outbursts by now."

He tried to give her a smile, but the turmoil going on inside him was just too great. "Sakura, I've almost killed you two times…in the past week. Your outbursts are nothing to be ashamed of, and I promise you I am not tired of you."

"It's just how you express yourself. As I said this morning, you would never kill me." Hugging him closer to her, she said, "If it makes you feel better, I'm not tired of you either."

He nodded, standing up then and lowering his hand down to her. She took it, letting him pull her up to his level. "It's been a long day…that roaming around town all afternoon really tired me out."

"Wanna go to bed?" she asked, perking up at the possibility of sleeping with him again.

"I do and I don't." he admitted, keeping her hand tightly in his. He pulled her with him, leaving the kitchen and heading up the stairs towards his room. He didn't explain why, but he didn't want tomorrow to come. Ever.

When they entered his room, she immediately began to get ready for bed. She unbuckled her tan skirt, and pulled off her boots. Standing up, she watched as Gaara pulled off his shirt, revealing his chest to her. She blushed. Maybe now was the perfect time to tell him. That way, they could both go to bed happy. She walked over to him, hesitation I her steps. "Um…Gaara? There's….something I need to tell you."

He tossed his shirt into the corner and looked over at her, curious. "What is it?"

She poked her fingers in a Hinata-like fashion. She should just get it over with. She'd said the words to Sasuke plenty of times, why was it so hard now? Because this isn't Sasuke, she thought. This was someone who actually cared for her. Steeling herself with a deep breath, she looked into his eyes. "I…I'm in love with you." She finally said, hope that he returned her feelings in her eyes.

Gaara's eyes went wide, but not with shock. He looked very alarmed. "Wh-what?"

"I love you." She repeated, now sounding unsure.

"WHY?" he glared at her, his sand rising in defense. He backed away until he ran into the wall, pressing both his hands against it. He reached up, grabbing the area over his heart, right where his scar was. His heart hurt, badly, the only thing flashing through his mind were images of his uncle. The only person to tell him he loved him and then tried to kill him. "Why would you do something like this?" he screamed, the look that had been on his face when he thought she betrayed him returned, only this time it was worse.

She picked up her clothes, using them to shield herself. From what, she didn't know. "I don't know!" she yelled back. "You make me so angry and frustrated, all the time! If your sand wouldn't get in the way I would punch you!" Looking down, she muttered, "But, at the same time, you make me feel things I've only ever dreamt of feeling. When I'm with you, I never want us to be apart, and when you smile, when I'm the one that makes you smile, I feel as though my world is complete."

Slowly, his guard lowered. He watched her cautiously, but her words were sinking in. That was exactly how he felt about her, he wanted her to be happy, and he wanted to see her smile. He thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world. She also irritated the hell out of him when she wanted her way, but even then…he needed her. She made him feel human, something no one else had ever truly accomplished. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He didn't know what to say. He had never felt this before, _never_, what was he going to do? Consequently, Sakura took his silence for an answer.

Looking the most broken he had ever seen her, she began to back towards his door. "I understand." Was all she said, before dashing down the hall and to her room.

He reached out his hand, about to stop her, but then retreated. Did her running away mean she took back what she had said? He held in a yell. He didn't understand what was happening. Just when the pieces were starting to come together, his world was shattered and he didn't understand why.

* * *

Shutting her door, she immediately began to weep. He didn't love her. She had opened up her heart to him, and he didn't say he loved her in return. So she decided to leave before he said the words that would break her heart. The words telling her that he didn't love her, that he thought she was annoying and useless.

She ran over to the closet and flung the doors open. Ripping out all her clothes from the hangers, she began to stuff them into her pack. This way, she wouldn't have to linger in the morning and deal with the tense atmosphere, or hear him say _those words_. Next were her extra weapons. Reaching over to her nightstand, she grabbed the bandages she had laying there, causing something to fall off and clatter to the floor. Assuming it was a kunai, she decided to leave it. She had plenty of those anyways. Once all of her things were packed, she lay down, and cried herself to sleep.


	20. Departure

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Twenty_

-Departure-

Sakura made sure to wake up before dawn, so that she wouldn't run into Gaara. She took a quick shower, washing away the tearstains on her cheeks from the night before. Getting out, she went through a mental list of everything that she had brought to Suna. She wasn't worried about the pile of birthday presents in the corner, because like the redhead had said, they would be shipped to Konoha. Once she was sure that she had everything, she headed towards the door, pausing once she reached the handle. She couldn't just leave without giving him something. Walking back over to her nightstand, she took out a sheet of paper and a pen. After scrawling a few words, she left the house and headed for the village gates. It never hurt to be early after all.

* * *

Finally Gaara sat up from bed, forcing himself to his feet. He didn't want to see Sakura. He didn't want to watch her leave after that horrible night. He couldn't believe he had almost fallen for whatever game it was she was playing. He just couldn't take this emotional strain, but there was something inside him that would not allow him to be absent from it. He _needed_ to see her before she left, after this…he would probably never be able to gaze into her beautiful green eyes again. He shook his head, trying to stop himself from thinking in that way of her. After he showered and dressed, he walked slowly, almost dreadfully, to her room. When he opened the door he saw all her things were missing. Somehow it was not a surprise. Not even bothering to go in, he shut the door and headed downstairs. _I guess it's time to see them off_, he thought sadly, letting his sand sweep him away.

Gaara appeared near the gates of the village, seeing that Temari and Kankuro were already there with the entire Konoha group. Kakashi and Kankuro were shaking hands, sharing a laugh, while Sasuke stood behind him grimacing. Hinata and Ino were talking with Temari, as Sakura stood by them silently.

He tried not to stare at the pink haired woman as he walked up, but found his eyes unable to tear away from her. Luckily, Naruto ran up with a bright smile on his face and gave the redhead a large hug. "I'm gonna miss you buddy!" he laughed, temporarily distracting the Kazekage.

At Naruto's words Sakura immediately shot her head in that direction. Seeing the cause of her pain, she turned her head away, not wanting to begin crying in front of everyone. She was done crying. It was for the weak, and it was something she never wanted to be again.

Seeing the non-interaction between the two, Sasuke smirked to himself. Apparently, Gaara didn't know how to handle a woman, something he, Uchiha Sasuke, was good at. Especially if it was Sakura he had to handle. All he had to do was wait for the proper moment to make his move. Maybe even flirt with her a bit on the journey home. And then she would be his once more, practically begging him to let her be the one he continued his clan with.

Gaara looked over the blonde's shoulder, stealing glances at Sakura, only able to get glimpses of her back. He wanted to talk to her, but it was impossible with all these imbeciles here to mess him up. Besides, she didn't look like she wanted to talk. Finally focusing back on the fox boy, he forced a smile on his face. Kiba walked up, giving Gaara a pat on the back. "Well Gaara we had a blast in Suna! Man I think I like it better than Konoha!" the brunette laughed loudly, as if there wasn't a care in the world. "Who knows? I might even decide to visit you and move on over here! Lots of open space for Akamaru to run around and play…he really likes all the cats!"

Gaara felt his eye twitch, the thought of Kiba being here forever almost made him want to commit suicide right then and there. "Yeah…well you would have to be approved to move here…and I _seriously_ doubt that would be allowed." He stated, leaving out the part of where he was the one to approve it or not.

Listening intently to the sound of Gaara's voice, the pink haired woman tried not to smile at what Kiba was saying. The thought of him living in Suna made her want to laugh, knowing that it would drive Gaara crazy. She shook her head. Thinking about him would not make this easier for her. Suddenly, Temari was at her side.

"Hey Sakura! I'm gonna miss you while you're gone!" Leaning closer to the Konoha medic, she whispered. "Did you tell him?"

Sakura merely looked at the ground, dejected. "Yeah, but he doesn't feel the same. I'm just gonna go back to Konoha and try to put my life back together." She said pitifully.

The blonde raised a brow in confusion. "What?" she said a little too loudly.

"Temari! Quiet! I don't want this issue to be brought up as we're leaving. It's for the best, trust me." Sakura said, trying to quiet her down.

She made a face of displeasure. "Fine, I won't say anything." She said. She wanted to respect her friend's wishes, but she'd be damned if she wasn't gonna give her little brother hell for letting Sakura get away. They were perfect for each other.

"Ok team! It's time we get this show on the road!" the silver haired copy nin said a little too cheerfully.

"You just wanna leave so you can check the bookstore and see if there are any new pervy books out." Naruto said suspiciously.

"My reasons have nothing to do with that Naruto." Kakashi lied. "The Hokage will need all of us back as soon as possible. She's already risked enough with most of her best shinobi out of the village. And we need to get Sasuke back as soon as possible."

It seemed like a good enough excuse for everyone else, so, after saying their goodbyes, the group headed towards Konoha. Sakura hugged Temari goodbye, and shook hands with Kankuro, but when it came to Gaara, she couldn't look him in the face. She glanced at him awkwardly, before turning to leave with her friends, not looking back for fear that she would run into his arms, only to be rejected.

As the group began their journey towards the Land of Fire, Gaara stepped forward, wishing more than anything that he knew what to say. He wanted to call Sakura back, have her run to him, and stay in his arms. But of course nothing of the sort happened. He shut his eyes tightly, wishing more than anything that she had never come to Suna and ruined his depressing life.

"Gaara…" Temari stepped up beside him, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." He shrugged off her hand, disappearing swiftly, leaving nothing but his footprints behind.

* * *

Sakura trudged behind the group, not really joining in their conversation. Sensing her friend's mood, Ino began to hang back a little. "What's up with you Sakura? You should be happy, having told Gaara that you love him."

She rounded on her friend, anger in her emerald eyes. "Not if he doesn't love me back Ino!"

"What? What's not to love?" she asked, clearly confused, and trying to cheer her up.

"Everything!" she quietly yelled, getting frustrated. "God you're so naïve! I'm too pathetic and annoying for any man to love! I'd only drag him down!" Sakura said, and then stomped off to join the rest of their group, knowing that Ino wouldn't bring up the subject in front of everyone.

Shaking her head in disappointment, the blonde couldn't help but hate Sasuke. He was the one who planted that seed of doubt in Sakura's mind as a young girl. She had hoped that it had disappeared as her friend had gotten older, but apparently, with the reappearance of the onyx haired boy, all those old insecurities had reawakened. She hoped Temari gave Gaara hell for not getting rid of them.

* * *

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. The pink haired kunoichi hadn't really talked much, mostly listening to Naruto and Kiba fill Sasuke in about everything that had changed in Konoha over the years. Currently they were setting up camp, having made it to the edge of the desert, where a small lake was located.

Wanting to be alone, she left the group, and walked to the water's edge. Looking at the moon, she sighed. It seemed wrong to waste such a romantic setting. Sighing again, she wondered if Gaara was thinking about her right now, just as she was thinking of him. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. "What do you want Sasuke?" she asked wearily, not really wanting to deal with him right now.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your victory. Never in a million years would I have imagined that you'd beat me one day. You've changed." He said quietly.

Still facing the water, she snorted. "I told you, people change." She stiffened when she felt his hand placed on her shoulder. Then, he turned her to face him.

"What I'm trying to say Sakura, is that I want to get to know the _real_ you." He stated.

She was surprised, and let it show on her face. "Why?" she asked, suspecting him of ulterior motives.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Hearing Naruto and Kiba tell me about all that's happened over the years, I realized that I've missed a lot. I want to catch up, starting with you."

"I don't know if I'm ready for that Sasuke. A lot has happened recently, and I don't want to cause any sort of confusion about what our relationship is." She said softly, looking off.

"Just consider it Sakura. And remember, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come to me. _Anything_ at all." He emphasized, leaning a bit closer to her face.

Brushing off his hand and stepping away, she replied, "I'll think about it." And walked back to the campsite to attempt to get some sleep.

Sasuke merely smirked in triumph. His plan was working perfectly. All he had to do was regain Sakura's trust, and she would be his. And Gaara would forever remember him as the one who stole the cherry blossom.

* * *

The next morning found Sakura waking up with a huge craving for waffles. She got out of her sleeping bag and rolled it up. Walking over to the fire, she asked to no one in particular, "What's for breakfast?"

"Well, we have granola bars, or power bars. Take your pick." Kakshi said, visible eye crinkled. "Although, the granola bars taste better in my opinion."

She groaned. "Man, what I wouldn't do for some waffles right now."

"Oh! That sounds so good!" Ino yelled in agreement.

"Eh, it's not as good as ramen in the morning." Naruto commented.

She shook her head at her friends. At the moment, she was glad to have them as a distraction. "I could make you waffles when we get back." A voice said in her ear. She turned, only to be face to face with Sasuke.

"What?" It seemed all she could be around him was either confused or disgusted.

"Waffles. If you want them so badly, I could come over to your place and make them for you." He repeated. "Or just stay the night and make them for our breakfast."

Blushing slightly at his suggestion, she decided to shoot him down in the nicest way possible. "That's ok Sasuke. I'll be over the craving by then." In truth, she didn't want to eat anyone's waffles but Gaara's. And only if it consisted of him being covered in whipped cream and pinning her beneath him.

Stiffening, the Uchiha answered, "Fine. It was only a suggestion." Then he walked away. What was with him? First he's all nice to her, and then, when things don't go his way, he gets upset? _Oh God_. He reminded her of Gaara in that moment. But he wasn't Gaara, and never would be.

Shortly after that they continued their journey home. After lunch, which consisted of dehydrated meat and fruit, they trudged on. At one point, Naruto came beside her. "Hey, Sakura-chan? Do you still think Hinata-chan likes me?" he asked, uncertain.

Glad to have something else to focus on, other than the memories she shared with Gaara, she gave him a smile. "I don't think, I know. She told me so herself."

His brow rose in confusion. "So, what should I do?"

"Go talk to her." She said.

"But, what if I don't know what to say? What if she isn't interested in talking to me?" he questioned, a worried frown covering his normally cheery face. "I'm not that smart Sakura-chan."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "Talk about anything you baka! Whatever it is you have to say to her, she will listen. She never misses a word that comes out of your mouth, no matter how stupid it is."

He smiled then. "Thanks Sakura-chan." He then sped up, leaping from branch to branch with more gusto. Catching up to the ebony haired girl, Sakura heard him say, "Hey, Hinata-chan! Did I ever tell you about the time I tried to see Kakashi-sensei's face? No? Well, one day…."

Honestly, she was glad that he was making an attempt to talk to Hinata, knowing that it would do well to further their relationship. But she couldn't help feel jealous. Why did things always work out for Naruto? It wasn't fair. Her whole life she had been picked on and belittled. And what ever happened to her? She fell in love with a man that shattered her heart beyond repair.

That night when they stopped, it was by a waterfall that was very familiar to her. Many times during missions she had stayed overnight here, it being one of her favorite spots to camp. Once again, she went over to the water and sat by the edge. Grabbing a stick, she began to doodle in the water. Suddenly, she felt something wet slide across her cheek. "Akamaru! Stop it!" she giggled, attempting to fend off the huge dog.

"Akamaru! Do as the lady requests." Kiba said, obvious humor in his voice. He walked up and sat next to her. "So, how are you doing Sakura? I haven't talked to you in forever." The dog boy asked.

She was getting really tired of being asked this. Pasting a fake smile on her face, she turned to him. "I'm fine! I just can't wait to get home, I haven't been there in so long." she lied. "My apartment is probably really dusty now too."

Leaning back on his arms, Kiba couldn't help but disagree with her. "Yeah, but Suna is so much cooler. I mean, there's tons of open space to train, and it's perfect for the types of training Akamaru and I do, since with the sand, we can't damage the ground. And did you see those street performers the other day? They were amazing!"

Her eye had been twitching ever since the word Suna left his mouth. But when he mentioned the street performers, she remembered everything else that had happened that day, including before she went to bed. "Why does everyone keep talking about Suna?" she yelled, blowing up at the innocent brunette. "I mean, all it has to offer are stupid redheads, who are too arrogant and blind to see what is right in front of them!" she said, crossing her arms. Turning back to Kiba, she gave him a murderous look. "Do you have anything _else_ you want to say about Suna?" she asked, venom dripping from her voice.

With a swift no, he ran back to camp, a whining Akamaru on his heels. She lay back in the grass, giving an exasperated sigh. She shouldn't have gone off on him like that, but she was tired of being reminded of Gaara.

She saw Sasuke begin to walk towards her out of the corner of her eye, so she quickly got up and made a beeline for her pallet. Getting in, she closed her eyes, pretending to go to sleep, even though it would be hours before slumber came.

* * *

The next day had gone smoother so far. It was as if everyone sensed that she wanted to be left alone, including Sasuke, who had practically been staring at her the whole time. She was actually starting to feel somewhat better too, until Kakashi decided it was his turn to talk to her.

"So…Sakura…I have a question for you." The jounin asked.

Not really wanting to talk, but curious, she raised a brow at her sensei. "What is it?"

"Well," he began, laughing nervously, "remember when we were dancing at your birthday party, and I was giving you advice about boys?"

"….yes." she answered hesitantly, afraid of where this was going.

Becoming completely serious, he turned to her. "Did either one or two happen? Do I need to go kill Gaara?" he asked, radiating murderous intent.

Her face turned red at the memories. Technically, he _did_ try to get into her pants, _but_ he didn't lie to her in order to get it. She was just as willing as he was. Laughing nervously, she tried to brush it off, knowing that if he found out, Kakashi would be true to his word. "No Kakashi-sensei, neither one happened. We didn't even kiss." She said, trying in vain to hide her disappointment.

He smiled, his right eye crinkling. "Good. I would _hate_ to have to break the alliance between our two villages because _someone_ couldn't control themselves."

Before she could reply, he sped up and began to talk to Sasuke. She had to wonder at his last statement though. It sounded as if he knew that she was also partly to blame. Then she began to think back on the incident in his office. If Naruto hadn't interrupted them, she had no doubt of what would've happened. Perhaps it was for the best. It would have hurt even more when she was rejected if she had given that up to him, along with her heart.

Still not totally convinced, she began to recite every known poison, their antidote, and every ingredient for both, in order to keep herself from thinking about the redheaded Kazekage.

* * *

Sakura let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the village gates later that afternoon. Finally, she could go home to her apartment, and eat all the chocolate she could get her hands on. Then she could go to bed, and never get up. Or she could write a book warning all girls to never tell a boy they love them, but to wait until he says it. She would be doing them all a favor. Maybe then she would get over Gaara.

"I'll turn in the mission report in the morning guys." Kakashi said with a wave, and began to walk off.

Ino raised a confused brow. "Isn't it regulation to turn it in when you arrive?" she asked.

Her question earned a laugh from Naruto. "Yeah, but with Kakashi-sensei as our team leader, you have to expect everything to be done later than it's supposed to be." He turned to Hinata, fidgeting slightly. "Um…Hinata-chan…do you wanna go with me to Ichiraku? I want to try their vegetarian ramen…"

Said girl blushed at his question. Naruto was asking her to eat dinner with him? How could she refuse? "I would love to, Naruto-kun." And with that they headed for the ramen stand.

Watching the events, Kiba turned to Ino. "So...Yamanaka…you wanna show me all the pretty flowers in your own greenhouse?" he asked suggestively.

Catching on quickly, Ino perked up. "I would love too! Come on let's go!" she said, linking her arm with his.

"Akamaru, you just go home boy. You need to rest." Kiba said to his faithful companion.

That just left Sakura and Sasuke, in an awkward silence. "Well…I'm going to go home. I have a lot of cleaning to do."

The Uchiha put a hand on her arm to stop her. "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't really have anywhere to go…" he asked, face blank as always.

She groaned inwardly. She really didn't need this right now. Suddenly, she remembered that in preparation for his return, Tsunade had had his old place cleaned and opened up. "Actually, your old apartment still has all your old stuff in it. You can stay there." She began to walk in the direction of her home then. "I guess I'll see you around Sasuke." She said over her shoulder.

"Sakura…wait." The ebony haired man called out. Suppressing another groan, she slowly turned to face him. Why couldn't he just understand that she wanted to be alone? "Will you have lunch with me tomorrow?" he asked, somewhat awkwardly.

The pink haired woman blinked, confused. "What?" Why did he want to have lunch with her? He had never shown any interest in her before, especially when he was a prisoner in Suna. But, if she were in his position, she wouldn't have been in the mood to talk to people either.

"Come to lunch with me tomorrow." He said, a little more forcefully.

She weighed the options in her mind. What could it hurt? It wasn't like Gaara was going to come after her or anything, and this way, she might be able to move on. Perhaps she could learn to care for Sasuke once again. After all, he now knew her true power, and had experience it firsthand. And that in itself would guarantee that she would never be rejected again.

"Ok. You can pick me up at one." She replied, turning back towards her house and missing his triumphant smirk.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.


	21. Turbulence

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Twenty-one_

-Turbulence-

It had been three days since Sakura had left his world dark and desolate. God how he hated her. He was comfortable with his mediocre happiness until she barged in with her smile and her…love. He sighed, sitting up in bed. He couldn't remember anything from the past three days. The time he spent in the office was only a change of scene for him to think about Sakura all the more. She had invaded his mind and heart…and he loathed her for it. He wished she was here so he could strangle her for doing this to him.

Finally getting himself out of bed, he sulked down the stairs and into the still destroyed kitchen. He had managed to repair the refrigerator somewhat so that he could store food. But when he opened it to see its contents, there was hardly anything left. The thought brought an immense sadness upon him. If Sakura were here she would have said something to him about going to the market and when he refused…she would make him go anyways. He grabbed an orange from the bottom drawer and began to peel the skin off.

He couldn't believe how much he missed that annoying, irritating, completely rude and rebellious, beautiful, caring woman. Taking the tangy fruit apart, he tossed a piece in his mouth, letting the tart juice fill his mouth. If Sakura were here, he would have something much more delicious to eat.

He grew angry then. Well Sakura wasn't here. She decided to leave without even so much as a goodbye. She had won her stupid little game. He felt his hatred rising again and then die down slowly. That was what pissed him off the most. He couldn't stay mad at her. He couldn't hate her, and he didn't know why!

"She used me!" he told himself, not even believing his own words. All he could picture was her gorgeous face, calm and asleep when he woke up.

"Knock! Knock!" A loud voice called out, coming from the living room. Gaara walked out of the kitchen and stared angrily at his sister.

"Why do you say knock, knock when you just walk in here whenever you want?" he asked, tossing another orange slice in his mouth.

"Because I can, _baby_ brother." She snickered, poking him in the chest and knowing it would anger him. "So how's zombie life been treating you?" she stole a slice of orange from him and fell into one of the living room chairs.

He growled, not liking that his sister was being so invasive. "What do you mean zombie?"

She rolled her eyes, tossing her feet up and over the arm of the chair. "Exactly what it sounds like. You're like the walking dead Gaara, ever since Sakura left." She said bluntly.

His eye twitched at the mention of the pink one. "I don't know what you're talking about." Gaara said, crossing his arms in defiance.

"Pfft," Temari laughed. "Yeah right. I thought you were depressing before, but gosh you just set a new standard!" she got up and walked over to her brother, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Let me put it in terms that you can understand and your stubborn ass attitude will accept." She took in a deep breath and the looked at him seriously. "It's as if the light from your world has vanished."

He felt her words stab through him, and resisted the urge to hold his heart to try and ease the hollow pain. Sakura was gone…and she had left him in the dark.

"I'm just saying Gaara," Temari flashed him a smile. "Sometimes, you have to chase down what you want, it's not always going to present itself to you." She nodded and kissed her little brother on the forehead. "And it wouldn't hurt to speak your feelings more often either. I think when you bottle them all up, you start to act on them more physically than you might realize." She waved then and decided to leave the redhead with his thoughts.

After finishing his orange, Gaara headed upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. Once he was done washing he slipped into his clothes, fastening the buckles to his vest and pulling on his shoes. He was off to work in no time, and once again for the fourth day in a row, he had walked to the hospital first. He was furious when he saw the medical building, hurrying on his way to the Kazekage Tower. Maybe if he could finally get into his paperwork he could forget about the infuriating woman that he desperately needed.

He reached the tower and walked in, ignoring all the greetings from the other shinobi. Slamming the door to his office he went and sat down in his chair, staring at the mountains of untouched paperwork. He sighed. He really didn't want to do anything but go back to bed and die a slow and miserable death.

Laying his head down on the only available free space on his desk, he shut his eyes, unable to stop the images that came to his mind. Her flat on her back with nothing between them and their clothes almost completely ripped off each other. A small smile graced his features when he thought about how close he came to seeing Sakura's whole body, something he was sure he would have been the first to see. He opened his eyes slowly, staring at the wall now. The room was empty and lonely. There was no angry girl ready to try and pulverize him into nothing, while he simply got close to her body, making her face go red.

She really looked cute when she was red. His smile slowly faded. He would never see that smile ever again. He would never hear her laugh, or see her eyes sparkle when she saw him. Everything between them was destroyed by his idiocy. Why didn't he say anything? _Anything_ at all! Even now he still didn't know what to say. Maybe he never would. Even if he knew, he would never get another chance. She probably hated him now and was flirting with that idiot Uchiha, who was most likely spouting on about how his clan needed to be revived and Sakura would be the one to do it. The thought made him sit up stiffly, glaring at the wall. That really bothered him.

He tried to shake the emotions from his head and rid himself of all these useless feelings. Deciding he was not going to get any work done at this rate, Gaara left the office and went to go try on his own the deadly and nearly impossible task of…grocery shopping.

It didn't take him long to reach the marketplace, even though he had been many times, he had never _actually_ paid attention to what Sakura was doing. He never had really thought about her not doing these things for him. It had become his routine, _their_ routine. Going to the fruits first, he attempted to get the ones Sakura had said were the ones to pick. It definitely took him much longer to shop than it would have if Sakura had been with him. He growled aloud, hating that nothing in his mind was too far from thoughts of the pink haired witch.

"Gaara!" a familiar voice called out from behind him. Turning, the redhead saw his elder brother making his way towards him. "Hiya Gaara, what's up…are you shopping?" he bellowed, holding his sides from his dying laughter.

The Kazekage took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. It was taking everything in his being not to kill the brunette right now. "What do you want?"

"Well Gaara, I heard, from a reliable source," Kankuro winked, a wide grin on his face. "That there was some naughty mischief going on in your office right before Sakura left." He nudged his dark red brother a couple times saying, "Huh, huh, huh!"

Gaara's eye twitched. Kankuro was dead now. Not only had he brought up memories of Sakura, but he had made him blush. Kankuro continued laughing and nudging his brother playfully, "Thata boy Gaara, show that medic who the Kazekage is! I bet you gave it to her good!"

After that comment left his mouth, sand slammed him against a nearby wall. Gaara glared threateningly up at him, "If you _ever_ repeat that to anyone or talk of Sakura that way again, I will kill you! Do you understand, _brother_?"

Kankuro nodded to the best of his ability, and the sand slowly released him. He collapsed to the floor, shaking slightly. "Jeez Gaara, what's your problem!"

"What's my problem? My problem is that I have to deal with idiots like you who won't stop talking about Sakura! I'm trying to forget her and you're making it _extremely _difficult!" he yelled, walking away from his brother, already losing control.

Once he finally reached his home, he set the bags from the market on the counter. The village repairers were going to come tomorrow to fix his kitchen, so he wasn't too worried about the food. Putting what needed to be cold in the refrigerator, he made himself a simple sandwich and went to his room. He lay down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, not knowing what to do. His life seemed so empty now, as if there was no meaning to it. Of course he wanted to protect his village, but there was something missing now. After laying there for hours, unable to go through with his plan of dying, he got up and headed out of his room, stopping unexpectedly at Sakura's door.

Hesitantly, he reached for the doorknob and walked in. It had been four days since he was last in this room. It felt worse being in _her_ room. This had been a mistake, he thought, turning to leave just as something caught his eye. There on the vanity was a piece of paper, set there specifically for someone to see. He walked over and picked up the letter. It was from Sakura, and addressed to him:

_Gaara,_

_I will __never__ forget all the wonderful times we shared._

_Love,_

_Sakura_

He stared at the letter for a long while before crumpling it up angrily and tossing it to the side. Out of the corner of his eye he watched where it landed and saw something bulbous near it. Curiosity overrunning his fury, he went back to the bed and knelt down to the ground. There underneath the bed was the gift he had gotten Sakura for her birthday. Grabbing the letter and glass orb he stood and sat down breathlessly on her bed. He stared into the clear sphere at the petrified cherry blossoms.

All he could think of was Sakura. Her face, her legs, her hair, her eyes, her scent, her smile, everything that made her beautiful and wonderful. That insane power she used to obliterate the Uchiha. He felt his smile returning as he remembered the look on her face and the blood covering her body, blood that was not her own. Shopping together, sleeping in the same bed, and dancing together. All he could remember were all the good times that had come from all the bad things that had happened between them. Every time they fought something good had happened afterward, and it was actually worth the fight the closer they got each time.

Then the last night flashed into his head. Sakura had told him that she was in love with him. Something he didn't understand. Not until now. Love was not what Yashamaru had shown him. Love was the care his siblings gave him. Love was wanting to be near them, having every intention of protecting them, wanting to see their smile, and make sure they were happy.

Gaara closed his hand around the orb, looking up with a smile on his face. He finally found what he needed to say, and there was nothing that was going to stop him from saying it. He stuffed the gift into his pocket, intent on returning it to its owner, before folding the note and slipping it into his other pocket.

Without a moment to lose Gaara ran to his room and pulled out a blank scroll and a pen, hurriedly writing a letter to his sister. Finishing quickly, he let his sand take him away to the Kazekage Tower. He appeared in the front and handed the scroll to the woman at the desk. "Please give this to Temari," he said, almost sounding excited. And before she could even nod, he was gone.

* * *

A messenger ran towards the blonde woman, who was sitting on the edge of a building near the tower. She took a large bite out of the rice ball in her hand and smiled from the delicious flavor. "Temari-sama!" he called, holding out a scroll to her, panting as if he had been running all over the village to try and find her.

She took the parchment and unrolled it, reading the short, messy letter:

_Temari,_

_Off to Konoha. Be back whenever the hell I feel like it. You're in charge. Oh and tell Kankuro…I hate him. _

_Gaara_

A knowing smirk played across her face. "Well it's about time."


	22. Finally

**Whirlwind**

_Chapter Twenty-two_

-Finally-

Sakura groaned when the sun streamed in through her window, effectively waking her up from her slumber. Not that she had gotten much sleep anyways. Rolling over, she stared at the wall in her room. She had taken to snuggling a pillow at night, trying to pretend that it was Gaara. But she knew deep down inside that it wasn't. It didn't feel like Gaara, look like Gaara, or smell like Gaara.

God how she missed his smell. It had a strange soothing effect on her, and she could really use it right now. She snorted to herself. She really was pathetic. Gaara wasn't going to show up and apologize for his actions, not this time. This time, it was her who had run away when she didn't like where things were headed, and there was _no_ way she was going to go back to Suna. It hurt too much, and the humiliation of her behavior would destroy her almost as badly as Gaara's rejection.

Getting bored with staring at the wall, she rolled onto her back and began to look for patterns in her ceiling. The only somewhat good thing that had happened to her since returning was that Sasuke was being nice to her. Lunch with him yesterday hadn't been _that_ bad. He told her of some of the things he had done while he was gone, but she was sure he was avoiding all of the illegal and more harrowing things. And in turn, she told him a little about becoming a medic, and working at the hospital.

At one point, he had asked her if she ever saw herself settling down and starting a family. It took her completely off guard, but she decided to answer it, since he was making such a huge effort to speak with her and get to know her again. She used to see that in her future, but now she wasn't so sure, is all she told him. She left out the part about only wanting to have red haired children with their father's eyes. He probably didn't want to hear that, and she didn't want to bore him with her fantasies.

After lunch he had asked her to go on a walk with him, which she accepted. After all, he was making an effort to get to know her, so she could at least try and be nice to him, despite all the things he had done. People in the village gave her weird looks though, and not the kind she had gotten in her dream when she was walking with Gaara. These were looks of confusion and disgust. They were probably wondering why she was associating herself with a traitor.

After their walk he left her at her apartment, saying that he needed to go see the Hokage and have some kind of seal placed on him. It was probably to make it impossible for him to leave the village for a while, as well as to deplete his chakra reserves so that he was limited as to what he could do, since he was on probation. The council also wanted him to settle down and continue the Uchiha line, but she doubted Sasuke would comply so easily. He didn't strike her as the type of person to create a family and actually stick around to watch it grow. And there was nothing wrong with that, but he had always been about being the best and proving that nobody could beat him, so Sakura expected that he would just continue his life as a shinobi.

Maybe if she just lay in bed for the rest of her life, she would die a slow and painful death, decomposing from lack of food and water. But she couldn't, she thought with a groan. She had promised to go to dinner with Sasuke tonight. He even said that it was a date when she had agreed. She laughed at the irony. She had dreamt most of her life of going on a date with the stoic Uchiha, and now that she had the chance, she wanted nothing more than to stand him up. She didn't care anymore. She had come to the conclusion yesterday that she would never be over Gaara, so there was no use in trying, or even lying to herself and saying that she was.

Looking over at the clock, she noticed that it was almost noon, meaning that she had effectively stayed in bed for half of the day. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of her mattress, causing her bones cracked in protest. It really wasn't healthy for her to stay in bed that long. But, after her date with Sasuke, she would simply return to the soft haven her sheets provided, and lay there for the rest of eternity.

She walked across the room and into her bathroom. Every time she came in here she felt claustrophobic, having gotten used to the large elegant one that she had in Suna. Turning on the water, she didn't care that it was hot enough to sting her flesh when she stepped into the steaming shower. She scrubbed herself clean to the point that her skin was an unhealthy shade of pink, before washing and conditioning her hair. Turning off the water, she stepped out and dried herself off. Wiping off the tiny mirror so she could brush her teeth, she was disgusted with what she saw. Her skin was a deathly pale color, having lost its natural glow days ago, and her eyes were lifeless. Well, this certainly seemed familiar, she thought. It was the exact way she remembered looking when Gaara had disappeared before her birthday.

A determined look crossed her face then. She would _not_ allow the redhead to have such a huge effect on her life. She would continue to do things as she had done before ever falling in love with him, and she _would_ be happy, even if she had to lie to herself in order for that to happen. She was good at lying to herself about things that would never become true, Sasuke's defection from Konoha had been a perfect example of that.

After she got dressed, she walked into her bedroom and spied her pack sitting next to the door. She still needed to unpack everything. She had left it full, in case Gaara came for her, so that she could just grab it and run away with him. But it was a stupid idea. She was just giving herself false hope at this point.

Picking it up and sitting it on the bed, she began to pull out the various items. Kunai, her clothes, medical supplies, and the standard gear that she always brought with her on a mission. When her hand brushed a scrap of paper, she pulled it out slowly. It was the card Gaara had written to her for her birthday, and, right beneath it, was the one he had sent with the flowers. She kept them instead of throwing them away like most would, because they made her smile. Then she remembered her petrified cherry blossom he had given her. She searched through the bag, but couldn't find it anywhere. "Deep breaths Sakura. I'm sure it's just in the bottom." She muttered, continuing her search. Her words not enough to reassure her, she began to yank everything else out and toss it to the floor.

Still no sign of her most cherished present, she opened up all the outer compartments, only to be disappointed. When the realization finally hit her that she had lost it, she screamed in agony. It could be anywhere by now! She could have left it in Suna, or it could've fallen out on their way back to Konoha… there was a multitude of things that could have happened to it.

She began to rock back and forth on the floor of her bedroom in the fetal position, clutching the cards to her chest. These were now all she had left to remember him by. She didn't even have a picture. She cursed her stupidity. She definitely should've swiped one from his house, but that might have been taking things a little too far.

* * *

It was hours before she eventually stopped crying long enough to pull herself together. The only reason she got up was because Sasuke was going to be there soon to take her to dinner. But even though she hadn't eaten anything all day, she wasn't hungry. She washed her face, and got rid of all traces of what she had been doing.

When the doorbell rang, she answered it with a fake smile. Once she got this over with she could curl up into a ball and die. "You look lovely Sakura." The Uchiha spoke up, nodding his head to her appearance.

Being startled out of her thoughts, all she could do was look away, confused. It's not like she had gone out of her way to look pretty. She was wearing what she wore every day. She meant it when she had told Gaara that he was the only one she had dressed up for, and it would stay that way. "Thank you." She muttered quietly.

The restaurant they wound up going to was eerily familiar to the one where she and Gaara had had their food fight. It took everything in her being to keep up her happy façade and not just break down and cry then and there. When they were seated, she looked around the place in confusion. "Well…that's odd. Shouldn't there be more people here at this time?" she asked, puzzled. It was only six-thirty in the evening, prime time for people to be out enjoying a meal. And yet the entire establishment was empty, save for the waiting staff, and her and the Uchiha.

He smirked, glad she had noticed this little factor. "I bought out the whole restaurant so that we could have privacy on our date." He explained. He knew how shallow women were, so he figured, if he showed her how wealthy he was because of his inheritance, she would talk herself into marrying him faster. He didn't delusion himself into thinking that she was over the sand demon, but, if he behaved in the right manner towards her, she, in her vulnerability, would accept his proposal, convincing herself that marrying him had its perks. Nobody else would want her anyways, and he didn't care if she didn't fully love him. He only needed her to restore his clan and raise his heirs.

Sakura was simply disgusted. It had always bothered her when people showed off their wealth. True, Gaara was wealthy, both from his family and being the Kazekage, but he didn't flaunt it. He did things normal people did, and was always humble about his money. Sure he insisted on paying for everything, but that wasn't out of pride, it was out of the kindness of his heart. At least when it came to her that's what it was.

"Why?" she asked, figuring that he wouldn't explain it to her unless she did. And she was right too. He stood up, and walked over to her side of the table. Taking her hand in his, he knelt down on one knee, looking up into her confused emerald orbs.

"Sakura, I know this may be a bit sudden for you, but hear me out. We've been friends since we were genin, and know things about one another that others can only guess at. I know that I broke your heart when I left, but I did it for us. I needed to find closure before I could share my life with you." He brought her hand closer to his face. "I know that things have changed since I left, but I believe we can grow to love each other deeply over the years. And, once we have our first few kids, things will definitely have picked up." He said, as if he were simply explaining the meaning of life. "We could be happy together." He finished, looking into her startled eyes with his own stoic ones.

So this was why he had been so nice to her once they left Suna. He wanted her to marry him and have his children. She didn't need to ask why, because she wasn't stupid. With her chakra control and his sharingan, their kids would be a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention the fact that she could teach them how to use her monstrous strength, and be healers. He was also aware that she knew how to cook, clean, and do laundry, since she'd done it for the team many times. Therefore, he expected her to quit her career as a ninja and become a house wife. No working at the hospital, no missions, no nothing. She couldn't live a lie like that, no matter how depressing her life was now.

As she opened her mouth to say no, Sasuke was shoved away from her and slammed into a wall by a giant mass of sand. She didn't need to look to know whom it belonged to, but she _had_ to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. Turning her head slowly to the right, Sakura let out a gasp at the sight before her. There stood Gaara, far away, but close enough to have heard the conversation, and he looked pissed, though she wasn't surprised. He did hate Sasuke after all. What she really wanted to know was why he was here. How was she supposed to move on if he wouldn't let her? Before she could ask, his gaze locked with hers, and she froze, mesmerized by his jade depths.

His hard expression softened at the sight of her. All she heard was her name uttered from his lips and she was up and running to him. She felt so many things in the moments she was running towards him that she didn't know how to describe it. She was relieved, because he had come back to her, like he always did. And she was happy, because she got to hear his voice and see his eyes. Those hypnotizing, beautiful eyes. But at the same time she was angry. Not at him, but at herself. Was she still so pathetic that she would run back into the arms of the one who broke her heart and crushed her soul? Yes. Yes she was. Because love made you do stupid and pathetic things.

Surprisingly to her, Gaara moved forward as well, unable to keep his distance from her any longer. He had missed her too much. As soon as she was within grabbing distance he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, as she looped hers around his neck. He instantly felt the rage and misery that he had been carrying around with him disappear. All of his doubts and unsure-ness vanished the moment he saw her face. "Sakura," he repeated her name lovingly, burying his face into her beautiful pink hair and immersing himself in her delicious scent.

At the sound of her name coming from his lips, and the feel of his heart beating in time with hers, she began to cry, much like she had when he'd come back the night of her party. Reigning in her emotions somewhat, she buried her nose into his neck and took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. "Oh Gaara." She sighed, content to let him hold her.

He pulled away then, but not letting her out of his grip. "Sakura…I didn't…I'm sorry…" he finally muttered out, staring lovingly in her restored emeralds with all their luster. "When you told me you loved me…I didn't understand…but now I know what I wanted to say to you. And I say it with pride and in hopes that you still feel as you did." He stopped, pulling her against him once more, tilting her chin up to his face. "I love you Sakura…more than anything in the world. More than life itself even. I can't survive on my own anymore." And with those words said, he leaned down, closing the distance between them and pressing his lips against hers in a gentle yet passionate kiss.

She pulled herself closer to him, responding to his kiss eagerly. She had waited so long for this moment and it was just as amazing as it had been in her dreams. "Oh," he spoke softly, fishing around in his pocket and pulling out her gift. "You left this behind."

Sakura gasped, and took it from him, cradling it in her hands. "I thought I had lost it." Looking back into his eyes, she smiled. "You have no idea how badly I tore my room apart looking for this thing."

"I thought you might want it back," he placed his hands over hers, closing her fingers over the small orb.

"You thought right." She said, before leaning forward to give him another kiss.

Across the street stood a very confused Neji and Tenten. "Did we miss something?" the kunoichi asked.

Naruto walked up at that point, having been on his way to the Hyuuga District to ask Hinata out on another date. Seeing the confusion on his friend's faces and where they were staring, he turned to them and laughed. "Yes you did. A _lot_ happened in Suna." He said, and walked away, wanting to find Hinata that much faster so that she could hear the great news.

Turning to her companion, Tenten said, "Next time there's a mission to Suna, we _have_ to go."

"So it seems." The Hyuuga replied. He then began to walk away, wanting to give his friends the privacy they deserved, with Tenten close on his heels.

* * *

She was walking down that familiar street in Suna, but this time, it wasn't a dream. Having found out about the sudden romance between her and the Kazekage, Tsunade allowed Sakura a few weeks' vacation, using the excuse that she was emotionally exhausted from everything that happened concerning the Uchiha.

She looked down at her hand, which was linked with a smooth, pale one. She didn't need to look up to see who it belonged to, but did anyways. She gazed into the eyes she had come to love, and smiled.

He glanced over at her, a smile gracing his own features. "What?" he asked with a small laugh. All the villagers they passed giggled with glee, some whispering the words 'Finally' or 'About time'.

"Oh nothing." The pink haired woman said. "Sometimes I just can't believe I'm so lucky as to have found you."

A pained look flashed across his countenance as he stopped and took her face in his hands. "Sakura…if anyone is lucky it was me…you came and saved me from the dark." He whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.

She smiled up into his eyes. "Well, I've always been one to keep my promises." She murmured, leaning into him.

He simply smiled and kissed her right there, in the middle of the street, getting cheers from the surrounding villagers. They both laughed, their kiss being broken then, but he was still happy. He had gotten what he wanted, what he needed, and he was never going to let it go.

**THE END**

**LIKED WHIRLWIND? THEN GO READ:**

**Typhoon **

The chaotic sequel to Whirlwind. When all seems to be going well, Gaara and Sakura are sucked into a Typhoon of emotions that might just tear them apart.


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